Treasure
by Stormkpr
Summary: The crew finds itself facing even harder times due to a 'versewide economic collapse. SimonKaylee and ZoeWash ships. COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Treasure**

_Author's Notes_

This fic takes place after the last episode of the show. Movie will not be happening.

"Treasure" will contain five chapters and end at about 21,000 words.

_Disclaimer: _The characters don't belong to me; Joss is boss.

A huge thank you to my beta-testers: Ann, Rivendellrose, Warrior Zoe, and noandwhere.

* * *

Chapter One 

Kaylee followed Inara from the engine room to the companion's shuttle, wondering why Inara wished to speak with her in private and what could account for the look on her friend's face. Granted, Inara had never been sunshine and sparkles – that was Kaylee's territory – but lately the companion had seemed sullen, and today even more so. As she walked, Kaylee wiped her hands on the outer thigh area of her jumpsuit. Inara's shuttle was full of such rich beauty, gorgeousness that made one's eyes hurt just trying to absorb it, that the mechanic wanted to ensure no engine grease sullied it.

"I think Simon's startin' to really notice me," Kaylee whispered excitedly as they neared the shuttle. Her voice was low enough that she didn't think anyone would overhear. Jayne and Book were lifting weights together but they were far enough away that Kaylee didn't think she'd have to risk one of Jayne's derisive remarks about Simon.

"He's been so much sweeter lately," Kaylee continued. "Didja see how happy he looked at the card game after lunch? He's way more relaxed. And River too," Kaylee added, as they entered the shuttle, an elegantly draped piece of fabric brushing against her side. Inara began to pour tea. "She looks better than ever."

Inara listened to Kaylee's joy and was miserable at the thought that she would not be around to see the romance blossom as it inevitably would. She would miss it, as she would miss whatever wonders, sorrows, and strange events happened to Kaylee in the weeks, months, and years to follow. Whatever happiness, disappointments, and fears Kaylee would experience, the two women would have to discuss only via a wave. Inara would be deprived of feeling Kaylee's warmth, experiencing a spontaneous hug, and feeling Kaylee's sincere energy in the room. The companion nearly gulped at the thought. Will I forget how to be real, forget what raw honesty even is when I return to my world surrounded by companions and clients?' she wondered.

'Then again, perhaps that is exactly why I'm leaving,' Inara said to herself.

"Simon says it's the new meds she's been on," Kaylee continued. "I can understand her so much better lately and she seems so much less weirded out by things. I really feel like the Tams are part of our crew now; even the Cap'n sees it. We – "

Kaylee broke off her sentence. The doomed look on Inara's face remained, despite the companion's best efforts to hold up the mask of professionalism. Kaylee suddenly realized that Inara's recent melancholy was not a figment of her imagination and, horrifyingly, that she was about to receive some very bad news.

"I have something to tell you," Inara began softly. "I – I've made one of the hardest decisions in my life." She paused, and then spoke again. "I'm leaving Serenity."

As she heard the words, Kaylee squinted, wondering if that really was the beginnings of a tear in the corner of one of Inara's flawless eyes. Kaylee couldn't be sure. And then her vision blurred as she herself began to bawl shortly after Inara stated that she had something to tell, thus wringing the companion's heart out even more.

"Why?" Kaylee gasped when Inara was finished, sobbing the word out through her tears. "Why?"

Inara was silent for a moment or two before she took a breath. "Kaylee," she began softly, placing her arms around the young woman.

"It's the Cap'n, isn't it?" Kaylee demanded. "You're leavin' 'cause of him. You and him can't get it together and you gotta be away from each other."

"I won't lie to you," Inara admitted. "Although that is not the sole reason, it is…a major one."

Kaylee had always known – as would even a deaf-blind mute – about the fire between Inara and Mal, two people she loved so much. She also knew, always, that she couldn't do anything to rectify the situation. It wasn't a matter of rewiring a circuit or jamming a replacement part inside a break. Maybe it was more akin to holding two non-compatible machines together and mutely understanding that they could never be re-fashioned into a usable, harmonious part. She had always tried to ignore Mal and Inara's thunderstorms, hoping they would dissipate.

"But why do you gotta _leave_?" Kaylee asked a little later, when her voice had returned. "Can't you just go on like before? You two could keep fightin' an' stuff, like usual."

"I'm sorry, Kaylee. Truly, I am. But I think it's for the best – for everyone – if I depart."

Kaylee understood then that Inara's mind was made up and nothing was going to change it. Intense pain burned her. The realization that her bond with Inara was not strong enough to withstand the pressures of her situation with Mal hurt Kaylee nearly as much as a rejection from Simon would have. Why does that gotta be more important than what Inara and I got together, our friendship?' Kaylee silently lamented. She felt anger welling up inside, directed both towards the Captain and the companion.

"I have a gift for you," Inara began softly, after more tears and more pleas for reconsideration were exchanged.

She gracefully rose from her seat and opened a drawer. Inara held a small wooden box in her soft hand and presented it to Kaylee.

Wide-eyed, Kaylee opened the lid. Nestled inside the box was a bracelet. It was round and simple, boasting just one glittery jewel. Kaylee's eyes widened at the mouth-watering gift.

"It reminds me of you," Inara said, tapping the jewel. "You're bright and sparkly like that. The jewel amplifies the beauty of the bracelet, just as you light up the 'verse."

A new round of tears erupted from Kaylee. She didn't think of herself as much of a jewel; that was really Inara's realm and now Inara was leaving.

Inara hugged the distraught mechanic, trying to squelch any questions as to whether she had made the correct decision.

* * *

Wash and Zoe found themselves alone in the galley one morning. Zoe sat at the table, nursing a wound to her upper arm, as Wash opened cabinets. 

"You're going to have Simon look at that again today, aren't you?" Wash called, as he examined the remaining cans of food.

"Don't suppose there's a need to," Zoe replied, trying to mask a grimace. "Doc looked at it yesterday."

"How's the pain?" Wash asked. He knew pretty well by now when Zoe was attempting to appear stoic over something that truly was bothering her.

"'Bout the same." Zoe smiled at the look of consternation on her husband's face. His eyes and brow were always so expressive. She cast off her usual terseness to try to reassure him. "The pain ain't too bad, and doc said it's healin' just the way it should be. So I ain't gonna worry over it and don't want you to either. No point in it."

Wash walked over to where his wife sat and gently kissed her forehead. "All right," he murmured. "I'll stop worrying about that knife wound. And besides," he began, this time a genuine smile spreading across his face as he waved an arm with a flourish, "we have so much else to worry about! There's the fact that the buyers bolted on you and Mal, and so we didn't get paid. We can't find anyone else to buy the goods either. There's the fact that every time I look in those cabinets, we have fewer and fewer protein bars and cans of food. And there's the fact that our fuel supplies are low _and_ the ship is practically falling apart despite Kaylee's best efforts. Hey, a knife wound isn't so scary when compared with imminent starvation!"

"I know I can always count on you to cheer me up, dear," Zoe deadpanned, though with a half-smile that Wash knew denoted a measure of true amusement.

Zoe already knew the truth to Wash's words. Indeed Serenity's luck had been abysmal as of late. The entire 'verse was falling on even harder economic conditions than usual. Jobs were harder and harder to come by, and actually getting paid was another matter entirely. Zoe read Cortex reports that indicated that even the rich were struggling nowadays, not that she felt much sympathy for them.

Zoe brought her mouth close to one of Wash's ears, mindful that anyone else might walk in on the dining room. "These is scary times," she admitted. "So much to worry 'bout." Her voice now hovered near a whisper. "Honey. You havin' second thoughts?"

"No," Wash said, resolutely. "No, we agreed that there would never be a really good time to have a baby. And so we shouldn't wait. I'm glad we're trying. Really."

Zoe looked carefully at his face. Had she pushed him too much on this? Was he doing this only because of his bottomless love for her, out of a desire to do anything to make her happy? And was this really such a smart move, given their dire economic straits?

Those questions, however, might all be irrelevant now. "Good," Zoe said softly. "'Cause I feel nauseous today. And I felt it yesterday too."

Wash nearly jumped out of his seat. "Really? So do you think -- ?"

Zoe reached for one of his hands and held it. "Hold on, husband. Too soon to say for sure. Maybe somethin' in that painkiller doc gave me is makin' me nauseous. 'Cept I don't think so, 'cause I've taken it before and didn't feel this way." She paused and added, "My monthly is a bit overdue. Still too early to say though."

Wash's heartbeat sped up considerably, and he knew his cheeks turned slightly red. "But so we really…we might…."

As Wash fumbled for something coherent to say, Shepherd Book walked into the dining room. "Good morning," Book greeted.

"Good morning!" Wash replied, with far too much adrenaline.

"It's nice to see such energy at such an early hour," the Shepherd chuckled. And then, with his exceptionally ability to size up a situation, "I'm just looking for a cup of tea, but I don't want to interrupt. I could – "

"Please, come in Shepherd," Zoe said.

The couple silently watched Book as he heated up water. Book eschewed adding any actual tea to the water; their supplies were so low. He merely drank the warm water, trying to appreciate it for what it was and hoping someday soon they would be able to afford more tea.

Later, Wash and Zoe walked towards the bridge. "We gotta wait a little while longer to be sure," Zoe was saying. She again looked intently at him.

He knew what that look meant. "I'm fine! I'm happy. I'm excited! And I – uh – I'm scared shitless too!"

* * *

"Inara's gone," River stated plainly. 

Simon looked up from his work, slightly startled at his sister's sudden entrance to the infirmary. He had been counting medical supplies, wishing their stores weren't so low. He made a note to check in on Zoe and her shoulder wound, wondering whether the warrior was avoiding him because she didn't want to use up their dwindling supply of painkillers.

"I know," Simon replied. "She left a few weeks ago."

He examined the look on his sister's face, searching her eyes for clues as to her status. River looked calm and alert. Simon had been gradually reducing her dosage – partly due to the difficulty in maintaining supplies and partly due to the fact that it was time to wean her off of them. River's condition appeared to be the one item on Serenity that was improving.

"Kaylee's very sad. And lonely."

"I know," Simon said quietly. Thoughts of an unhappy Kaylee depressed Simon as well. Somehow it dragged down the entire 'verse.

River was silent, her eyes scanning Simon's face. She finally said, "Talk to her."

Worrying about every person on the ship was taxing for the young doctor; he felt like Atlas, trying to hold up a planet -- but a struggling, straining Atlas at best. Between the lingering injuries of Mal, Zoe, and Jayne, to Kaylee's mental condition since Inara had left, to memories of how he'd bungled every dialogue with Kaylee he'd ever held, to thoughts that Jayne might again pull what he tried on Ariel despite their conversation about it – Simon had more woes on his plate than he could handle. Taking care of River alone had been a fulltime occupation.

"It – it's not that easy," Simon said, feeling an odd sense of discomfort at discussing this with his sister. "There's so much going on, and I never manage to say what I mean. I can't seem to ever…" he let his voice drift off as he groped for the right words.

"It doesn't matter," River insisted. "Just go to her. Just be honest and say what you mean. That is what you want and what she wants too." She stepped closer to her brother and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I will be fine," she said slowly. "You can enjoy life. Despite everything that has happened and everything that will happen, you can."

Simon's eyebrows nearly raised at the coherence of River's words. But then again, an ordinary dialog such as this one was becoming the norm rather than the exception for her.

Simon nodded, looking around the infirmary. There wasn't much more to do in there today. He thanked his sister and headed for the engine room, despite the jitters that mockingly flitted around inside of him.

River stayed in the infirmary, her bare feet firmly touching the cool floor. She leaned her head back and opened her mind. Soon she was enjoying sharing the feelings that Simon and Kaylee experienced together.

* * *

Not long afterwards, Simon found his mind reeling. Weren't they supposed to discuss their goals and expectations for the relationship? Were they supposed to sit down and have a dialog about where they saw themselves in a few years? Or was that not what Kaylee wanted at all, and was she just looking for someone to warm her nights? How was he to even begin asking about this? Should he admit off the top that he had little experience with matters of love and relationships? Or was that so blatantly obvious that it didn't bear verbalizing? And what did _he _even want for himself and for their relationship anyway? 

On that last question, there was one thing he did know: he wanted to be with Kaylee. He loved her smile, her beauty, and the joy she experienced in everyday happenings; he wanted to spend more time with her and be around her more. That was a start.

"Why you gotta worry so much all the time?" Kaylee asked him, with a laugh. She repositioned herself so she could rub at his temples. At first Simon nearly jumped at her touch before he willed himself to relax into it.

"I don't know. I suppose it's just the way I am," he said. They were inside Simon's room, behind the closed door since he had lured her away from the engine room.

"Did you worry so much when you were younger?" Kaylee wondered. "Before all of this started with River being taken away?"

"I worried," Simon admitted. "There were exams to pass and a really tough course of study. But I didn't worry this much though."

He tried to calm himself but his fears continued to race as her fingers soothingly touched his temples. So, were they supposed to have sex now? Simon had only done so twice, both times with companions because that was what wealthy people on Osiris did and how most of them experienced sex for the first time. Those occurrences had been so long ago anyway.

"What worries are you thinking about right now?" Kaylee asked, sincerely wanting to get inside his head.

Simon nearly gulped. Well, River said to be honest, he reminded himself before wondering why he was taking advice from a disturbed teenage girl. Then again, Kaylee was always touchingly honest herself. Didn't she deserve at least that in return?

"I was thinking about my life before all of this," he admitted. "I, uh, the only times I've ever slept with someone before were with companions. Just twice, a long time ago when I was a teenager. I was thinking that it was nice, but it all felt so fake. No offense to Inara," he quickly added, not even realizing that bringing up her name now may have been a _faux pas_. "But being with a companion doesn't really teach you anything about how to be with someone…I mean, how to be _real _with someone. When you're paying for someone's time, it's really different than when you're not and um…it just doesn't seem to help that much. Er – does that make any sense?"

"Actually, I kinda think it does," Kaylee said. She still had a smile on her face, one of the few since Inara had left. She thought she understood where Simon was coming from and even got an idea as to something that may assuage his fears.

"But there ain't no pressure here," she continued. "We could kinda take things nice and slow. Maybe all we's gotta do today is just kiss."

"Kiss! Yes! That is a fantastic idea."

"I mean, it ain't a race an' all. Not that I'm all that experienced with relationships and stuff either," she laughed.

"You are more so than I, though," Simon pointed out.

"Yeah. But so…I ain't lookin' to get hitched right this instant or to rush things along at all."

Simon couldn't control his smile. "I'm so relieved," he admitted.

Kaylee nearly giggled at his innocence. Apparently she wasn't the only one who could just say what they meant without filtering it. "So, then…how 'bout a kiss? Just a kiss."

Simon leaned towards her, hoping he remembered what to do. The kiss came naturally and easily to him. Kissing Kaylee felt right and simple. And it was easy – he didn't have to think so much about how to do it; it just happened. His eyes lit up and he gently pulled her towards him for a second kiss, this time with his arms wrapped around her. Her lips were somehow deliciously soft.

"The Captain's going to kill me, isn't he?" Simon asked.

"Yeah. But I'll ask him real nice not too."

* * *

River sat in the dining room, listening to the others' words and laughter. Jayne played his guitar and hummed along with it. Wash was animatedly telling Mal and Book a story, as Book tapped a toe in time with Jayne's tune. The crew – except for Zoe -- was drinking the last of the wine made by Kaylee's own fermentation system. Sweetener had been used to create a cake of sorts, though the sweetener had been scraped from the bottom of the tin, was slightly rancid, and resulted in an odd-tasting confection -- even by the crew's standards. An old scrap of cardboard had been found in the cargo bay, and someone wrote "Congratulations Zoe and Wash!" on it, and hung it in the dining room. 

River glanced at Zoe, who rested her head on her husband's shoulder. Her eyes drooped a bit. One of her hands was laced with one of her husband's, and Wash sat so near to her that their thighs touched.

Oceans. When River saw Wash and Zoe together, she felt waves, water, and oceans. Today she felt it even more intensely, with their hopes and fears over their impending arrival approaching and retreating in a rhythmic pattern. It was mingled with their intense love for each other and with the crashing arguments they sometimes had.

River turned her glance to her brother and Kaylee. He had his arm around her shoulders, and a broad and relaxed smile on his face. Kaylee's cheeks were warm and pink. River listened to the guitar music and felt the heat in the room and how it warmed Simon and Kaylee, and the others. Their budding relationship was reminiscent of fire – the warmth and heat it provided, along with its excitement.

River then glanced at her side. No one sat cuddled next to her, causing her to feel either fire or water. She shook her head, trying to will herself back to the present. There were no actual waves or flames in the room; she reminded herself that this was just the way she experienced the two couples and it would not make sense to anyone else.

But when River willed herself to focus on the present and to attempt to communicate in ways the others might understand, she was hit by something very unlike oceans or fire. It was more like a blunt object pressing against her chest or a taunting child who teased her. No one held her hand or put an arm around her shoulder. It wasn't only that fact, though, that caused her to feel the weight of aloneness. No one else woke at night, screaming from nightmares of cold metal objects penetrating their brain. Even when River tried, it was hard to communicate with the crew in ways that could be understood.

River shut her eyes and saw a vision of a young woman sitting alone inside a sterile, padded room. There was no entrance or exit. River felt that she was the only one who had been inside this box.

"Hey, River, you want more?" Kaylee was asking, holding one of the bowls out towards her.

River shook her head.

"So how are you doing tonight, River?" Simon asked. "Are you enjoying the party?" This party was quite unlike any of the balls that the young Tams had attended while growing up on Osiris, Simon silently mused.

"It _is _better," River said, having momentarily reached into her brother's mind. "Food isn't as good here and I want more dancing, but it is a lot better than those other balls. Means more here and isn't full of things that have no purpose, things that have no water or fire."

"Well now!" Mal exclaimed, overhearing River's comment. "So glad to hear you're enjoying yourself, little lady." He looked at Simon and added, "You know what in the hell she's talking about?"

River wanted to reply herself, but before she could, Simon spoke up. "I think what she's saying is that she likes our celebration here better than the balls we attended when we were children on Osiris. I think she means that people here are more sincere."

"Yes!" River said, feeling – for the first time tonight – delight. The mental image of the padded box quickly dissipated, replaced by her brother's smile.

"Aww, honey!" Kaylee exclaimed, genuinely touched. She got up and put an arm around River. "I'm glad you're likin' our celebration! I hope someday we can get back to where I grew up and my folks'll and the town'll show us a good time. My Dad plays a mean banjo. Him and Jayne oughtta put on a show."

Mal watched the scene around him. Their jobs, money, and fuel were vanishing, his first mate was pregnant, Kaylee and Simon were together, and Inara was gone. He wondered whether things could even get any worse.

He would soon find out that they would.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED 

Feedback is always welcomed.

The next chapter will be posted soon.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Mal and Zoe stared at the numbers on the balance sheet in front of them. They knew they could not force the figures to bend to their will, and could not bargain with them either.

"Shit," Mal groaned, after both he and his first mate re-checked the calculations. "We keep this up, we ain't gonna have enough fuel left to get to Paquin," he added. "Or to keep eatin'."

During their last planetside trip, they sold their cargo at an insulting price. One of their reliable buyers had been killed months before, another captured by the Alliance, and a third had disappeared. New buyers were harder and harder to come by as well, with so much of the underground either imprisoned or going out of business. To make matters worse, the money they did receive for that cargo was worth less and less with each passing week. Many colonies no longer accepted money and dealt only in barter. Most folk didn't have much to barter with nowadays either; indentured servitude and slavery had always been common in the 'verse and they grew more so with each passing month.

Seven months had now passed since Inara's departure, and each week appeared more and more bleak. Every time Mal and his crew turned around, there was another report of a colony starving to death, or being hit by Reavers, or hauled off to perform slave labor. New plagues and diseases cropped up and decimated populations, leaving survivors weak and desperate. The 'verse almost appeared to be shrinking, assaulted on all sides by terrifying forces. Even the sky seemed more empty, as fewer and fewer ships could find fuel, parts, or crew.

On board Serenity, the eight members of the crew were like a band of survivors from a wreck, huddled together in a cave for warmth and growing more desperate with each passing week. They counted and recounted food and fuel supplies, wondering where their next restocking would take place and desperately searching for another job. The last planet they visited had no fuel for sale, even in the underground markets.

"Don't even got a job lined up on Paquin," Zoe said.

Mal didn't feel like muttering a platitude such as 'We'll find something,' and was glad that around Zoe, he didn't need to. "Maybe we can trade somethin'", Mal replied. "Least Paquin don't have any plagues now – leastways, not that we know of. If this damn Cortex report's to be believed, they got smallest percentage of people dying of hunger."

"That's comforting," Zoe remarked, her expression even.

Mal's eyes scanned the inventory report one more time, and his voice took on an ominous tone. He now had no choice but to enact what he had been considering for weeks. "Zoe," he began, "whether we get work on Paquin or not, we gotta start rationing food."

The first mate nodded. She'd known this was coming. The crew had already been eating sparingly, and everyone's stomachs periodically rumbled. Only Zoe's body was larger, heavy with child.

"We eat twice a day now, not three times," Mal continued. "'Cept for you – you gotta eat more for the little one. Everyone else, we're countin' every bite that goes into their mouths."

"Been playin' with some numbers on that myself, sir. Calorie counts based on body size."

She pointed to a few figures that she had brought to their meeting. Mal nodded, and Zoe responded, "I'll let the others know."

As Zoe walked off the bridge, Mal prided himself on how well he had been holding his tongue during these past several months. His first officer and pilot were doing a foolhardy, selfish thing by bringing a baby into the 'verse, he mused. In a matter of weeks, there would be another mouth to feed on this ship. Zoe was already unable to take part in any jobs that would require violence or danger – which effectively eliminated her from most any of the type of jobs Serenity typically received. The point was moot now, though, with the ship and crew out of work.

Mal shook his head. Zoe still worked as hard as anyone else around the ship, and her husband was still a dedicated pilot. Just because they were damned fools who believed in notions of love and of having a future didn't mean he should disrespect them.

* * *

"Baby. Don't like to see you worried," Zoe said. She and Wash were alone on the bridge. Wash's brow was knit in consternation as he looked down at the Cortex.

"Did you see this report?" Wash held up the device. "A ship was hit by a band of pirates. They forced themselves onto the ship, took everything including the ship itself, and left the survivors stranded down on some planet. How _thoughtful_ of them to leave any survivors at all.

"And look at this," he continued. "That mining colony on Chang went under. The owners went bankrupt and left in a shuttle. They left four thousand workers there to starve to death – which is exactly what happened. Oh, for those who didn't die from dysentery or other diseases, that is."

Zoe touched a hand to Wash's shoulder. "We ain't starvin'. We'll figure a way through this."

"Of course there are some _rousing_ success stories," Wash added, trying to brighten the mood a bit. "There's always what Caro told us in his last wave." Caro was one of Wash's buddies from flight school. He and his crew had decided to set down on a remote planet and try to live off of the land – hunting and foraging nuts and berries.

"Wonder how they're doin'," Zoe muttered. "Didn't think there were too many planets that had enough terrain to really live off of."

"We might need to join them! I bet you and the Captain and Jayne would make a mean hunting party. The rest of us could stay behind, building shelters out of leaves and branches, rubbing rocks together to create a fire." Wash felt he was laying on enough sarcasm for now and ceased his musings. He swallowed and asked, reverently touching a hand to Zoe's belly, "How is she?" He was already giving up substantial portions of his own food to keep his wife, and thus his baby too, healthy.

"Good kicker. She was kickin' up a storm in the cargo bay just now."

"Ah, it must mean that she'll be a great warrior woman! Like her mother. So c'mon… can't we call her Zoe?" Wash pleaded.

Zoe shook her head. "We ain't givin' the baby the same name as me," she insisted, wishing this debate would end soon. She favored concise, strong, one-syllable names for the baby – who was confirmed to be a girl, per the last round of tests. Zoe's favorite names were along the lines of Ruth, Tess, Ann, Leigh, or Kate. When Wash wasn't insisting upon naming the girl Zoe, he was creating hybrids of both their names and coming up with results such as Zoeann and Zoeburn. Zoe's head hurt just thinking about such concoctions.

"Your own name's _Hoban_," she'd once commented, in response to his unusual baby-name suggestions. "Your parents pickin' that name messed up your judgment good."

An instrument on Serenity's panel buzzed. Wash eyed the controls and said, "We're approaching Paquin."

"I'll get the Captain." Before Zoe left, she and Wash exchanged a quick kiss. He watched her leave the bridge, marveling that – despite her size -- she still moved with the grace and silence of a tiger.

* * *

Mal and Jayne went scouting out a new job. The rest of the crew, eager for a chance to breathe some fresh air, enjoyed themselves at an open-air café. Even Simon and River joined the outing; they had faced no trouble last time they were on Paquin, and the Alliance was even more scattered now. No Alliance ships were anywhere near the quadrant.

The café was crumbling, but remnants of its charm still shined through. Several tables, with mismatched chairs, formed a horseshoe shape around a floor that was inlaid with colored tiles. The tiles were now faded and chipped. The open floor had been designed for dancing, but the jukebox had been broken for months. Various trees and shrubs surrounded the café, and although some were starting to wilt, they did provide a fetching green background. The sun had just set, and the place was illuminated by torchlight and candles. A modest breeze floated by; the evening was a humid one. No one other than the Serenity crew occupied the place tonight.

The café had sustained water damage years ago and still retained a slightly musty odor. Still, the crew found that more appealing than the smell of sewage they encountered during their walk to the place; one of the town's sewer lines had recently fallen apart.

The owner of the cafe, a man named Dawes, was an old war-buddy of Mal and Zoe's. He pulled out all the stops to welcome the crew. While Kaylee made repairs to his generators and Simon examined Dawes' lingering wounds (including a broken arm that had never been set properly), the others sat at the café, drank weak coffee, and feasted on tins of string beans, corn, and canned meat – all of which had passed their expirations dates, but not by too much.

Simon approached the table and poured himself some coffee. The sludge tasted far different than the rich, bold flavors of the coffee back on Osiris.

"How's Dawes?" Zoe asked him. She herself was eschewing coffee.

"He's ornery and grouchy," Simon began with a smile, "and he hardly wanted my equipment on him."

"That's Dawes." Zoe paused and added, "He was too damn stubborn to die during the war, 'spite all the holes shot into him."

Wash was cutting around a stringy piece of meat, removing the greenish parts. He subtly moved the more appetizing pieces onto Zoe's plate, along with spoonfuls of corn.

Zoe shook her head. "Eat your dinner, husband."

"I ate this morning. The protein bar was just _delicious_," raved Wash.

"Ain't enough. Eat more. The baby's fine." Zoe tried to keep the irritation out of her voice. Wash was making more sacrifices than he needed to lately, and she didn't want him to grow to resent her or the baby.

River looked directly at the couple. "The ocean is rumbling," she said. "But the boat won't capsize."

"Very poetic," Wash remarked, cocking an eyebrow. Zoe had moved the meat back onto his plate, but he hadn't touched it yet.

Book looked at his timepiece. "I wonder how Mal and Jayne are doing. I hope they've found something."

"Whatever they've found," Simon began, "I don't know how we're going to come up with enough fuel to get there."

"We gotta get a job that ain't off-world," Zoe said.

"Dawes said we can stay here a while," Wash added, though he knew there were limits to what the soldier could offer them. He had plenty of small repair jobs for Kaylee but not much in the way of spare food or supplies.

Suddenly the café's lights flickered. A hum and whir started up, and the lights turned on at full power. The crew members squinted until their eyes adjusted to the brightness. Moments later, Kaylee and Dawes emerged from the back, Dawes limping after the mechanic. Kaylee was partially restraining a pleased grin.

"Girl's a genius," Dawes said. "I thought that thing was broke beyond repair. I knew Sergeant Reynolds'd pick the best crew!"

Simon looked admiringly at Kaylee. Her brilliance and her skill-set were of a totally different realm than Simon's. All of it was home-cooked and some just inborn. Years ago, Simon might not have noticed such a talent, let alone appreciated it.

He smiled as Kaylee sat next to him and began picking at the food that had been set aside for her. She naturally relaxed against and snuggled into the arm Simon automatically set around her shoulder. He no longer worried about what to do.

River pointed at the jukebox. "Music. Please?" Her soul begged for music to dance to. River knew, deep inside her muscle tissue, that the thing she missed most about life on Osiris was the accessibility of music. Back then, the press of a button had opened up a world of music -- whatever type she craved. Whether she had wanted to dance to a ballet or to pop music, every recorded song had been at her fingertips. It was a luxury unknown in the frontier.

Dawes shook his head. "That old thing ain't worked in months. Missin' a few parts, and I don't think Kaylee here can create parts outta thin air."

"I can't, but maybe I can find a substitute," Kaylee said, munching on a string bean.

"Honey, why don't you finish your dinner first?" Simon suggested, softly. "You've got to eat."

"This won't take but a minute," she said, springing from her seat and towards the jukebox.

Within twenty minutes, music filled the café. River danced to the sprightly string music that she selected. The rest of the crew watched her during the fast-paced number. Her wide smile and far-away eyes indicated that the song had transported her somewhere more pleasant.

"My daughter'll be so happy when I tell her it's workin' again. Just for that," Dawes said, "I'm gonna share with you guys some dessert. I got a packet of dried apricots!" He had also enjoyed watching River's dancing, to his surprise.

"Wow!" Kaylee exclaimed. Although she much preferred fresh, she adored any type of fruit. Her tongue could already taste the sweetness and tartness. Her mouth began to water in anticipation, and she could already feel the velvet of the dried apricot's skin in her mouth and its stickiness clinging to her teeth. Simon looked at her and smiled at her excitement.

Portions of the fruit were set aside for Mal and Jayne, and the rest of the crew began to eat merrily – with the exception of River, who continued to dance. Wash again attempted to get his wife to eat his portion, saying that she needed such high-calorie foods. They argued, and compromised. She would eat half of his share.

River, sweating now from her movements to two songs in a row, walked over to the jukebox and cued up a slower-paced number. The café filled with a romantic song, and a singer with a passionate, smoky voice.

Kaylee nudged Simon. Although the thought of dancing in front of an audience – no matter how small – made him want to cringe, he also wanted Kaylee's happiness to continue for the evening. He took her hand and led her to the open space in the middle of the café. His face turned crimson as he tripped over one of the loose tiles, but Simon soon regained some composure. The two slowly swayed to the music, pressing their bodies together. Kaylee filled with warmth at Simon's touch.

River watched them and happily made kissing noises in their direction. Simon and Kaylee giggled in response.

Wash looked at the younger couple and tilted his head towards Zoe. He had a slightly imploring look on his face.

"I ain't never been much of a dancer," Zoe said quietly. "And I'm so big now," she placed a hand on her belly. The baby was moving slightly.

"But try it anyway," the Shepherd said in his soothing, deep tone. "No one here but your crew and your fellow veteran to see it."

Zoe nodded and reached for Wash's outstretched hand. She thought about making a comment that she was doing the doctor a service, being an even worse dancer than he. But she held her tongue as she and her husband moved to the slow music. After a few beats, they found it easier if they faced the same direction, his arms around her as they just rocked gently to the beat. Zoe's eyelids gradually closed as she enjoyed the singer's voice.

Dawes watched the woman he had known as Corporate Alleyne and tried to keep his mouth from dropping to the floor. He had been pretty shocked when he'd heard that she'd wed. To see her now, heavily pregnant and dancing tenderly with the man she called husband, made Dawes either want to laugh or faint. The image of Zoe blazed into his mind was of the steely fighter who braved Alliance troops without a shred of terror and faced death and destruction with equanimity while others around her panicked. He shook his head and noted that people could truly change.

"Well ain't this just the most gorram romantic sight a man can see!" Mal exclaimed, as he and Jayne approached the café. Jayne nearly gagged at the site of Simon dancing. It was a bad ending to a difficult day for him.

"Sir," Zoe said, opening her eyes and breaking off her dance. She covered her surprise and slight embarrassment well. "Do we have a job?"

"We got one! A solid one at that," Mal grinned. His happiness at finding work tempered his displeasure at the romantic entanglements of his dancing crew.

"That is fantastic news!" Book exclaimed.

Only Jayne appeared angry and upset. In exchange for the fuel they needed to reach the job, he had sold Vera.

* * *

That night, both couples retired to their bunks.

Simon and Kaylee tended to divide their time between their two rooms. She liked the brightness of his bunk in the passenger section, and he liked the slightly thicker walls in her bunk. River was less likely to pop in at the most inopportune times if they were in Kaylee's bunk.

"We got a job! We got a job!" Kaylee enthused as she eagerly shed her clothing. A T-shirt was pulled over her head, revealing her slender waist. Simon used to better enjoy the sight of her taut midsection weeks ago. But nowadays, when all of them had clear outlines of ribs showing through, he liked the view less and wished they had more provisions. Kaylee reached towards a shelf – they were in her bunk tonight – and fastened her long hair with a band.

"Your hair looks pretty like that," Simon said, smiling. "And – and you're so pretty when you're smiling too."

"It's been the shiniest day ever!" Kaylee raved. "We got a job. We got to eat some okay food and…dried apricots! And you danced with me." She leaned in closer to him and unceremoniously began unfastening his over-shirt. "You're a real good dancer."

"Really? I don't know," he said, lifting his arms over his head so the second layer of his upper-body clothing could be removed. "I'm an okay dancer." He then added, "You are a brilliant mechanic. I – I admire you. For what you're able to do."

Kaylee nearly wanted to blush. She had already been grinning, so she settled for demurely thanking him for the compliment.

Then, at Kaylee's behest, Simon stood up and allowed her to unfasten his pants. Her fingers deftly undid the buttons.

"You're so _shuai_ when you're naked," she smiled. She then sighed, still feeling wonderment and delight – after all of these months – that this elegant, handsome, kindhearted man chose her as his lover.

Simon again couldn't help but to return her grin. Making love to Kaylee had been easy; he now knew that he'd really had nothing to worry about when they started, months ago. She was patient and loving, which allowed him to relax. The only times she got frustrated were when he let himself get anxious, worrying about performance and treating it like it was an operation rather than a way to express affection and intimacy.

That was his last lucid thought before Kaylee reached for him.

Meanwhile, Zoe and Wash undressed for bed. At the sight of her bare belly, Wash cooed and made other inane sounds at the baby. Zoe smiled as she lowered herself onto the bed.

"Thanks for dancing with me tonight," Wash said, as he settled in next to her.

"It wasn't bad," Zoe responded. "I got to try somethin' new."

"But the captain saw you on the dance floor. I got the distinct impression he was either smirking or frowning inside. Although I guess it's because he doesn't like having two happy couples in his crew."

Zoe was silent for a moment or two before she said, "Don't like where you're goin' with this." Her voice was pleasant enough but it conveyed a warning.

"Sorry, sorry – I forgot. Malcolm Reynolds can do no wrong and we cannot hint at criticizing him. Ever."

"Those 'two happy couples' you mentioned are goin' down to _one_ real fast if you keep this up."

Although he did not like being admonished by his wife, Wash decided to let it drop. There was no point in rehashing the old argument and he truly had no desire for a quarrel. They had been through it all before and he already knew, and had accepted, the fact that any slightly negative remark about the captain would be met with a disapproving reaction. He didn't like that fact but he knew that loving Zoe and being loved by her would mean making concessions such as these.

He questioned what even made him want to bring it up tonight, and played around with it in his mind a bit.

"I've been on edge lately," he admitted, thinking out loud. "I'm glad we got a job and I had fun at the café, but I've been stressed."

Zoe softened inside. "I know," she said. "You ain't been eatin' enough, givin' half your food to me. It's enough to make anyone a mite jumpy."

She reached behind herself to stroke him lovingly. She turned slightly to get better access to his arms and chest. She added silently, _'_He's makin' huge sacrifices for a baby he wasn't all that gung-ho on havin' in the first place. Least I could do is let him blow off a little steam,' she told herself, thinking that if her husband wanted to criticize the captain, it would not have been the end of the 'verse.

Wash returned his wife's caresses. "You know what I like best about this pregnancy thing?" he murmured, as his hands roamed from Zoe's belly up to her now-fuller breasts.

"_Xiaoxin_," she warned languidly, as he cupped them. "They're tender." She grasped his hand and moved it quite a bit lower. "But this area wants your touch."

Though Zoe couldn't see his facial expression because of the way they were positioned, Wash grinned. Much later, he lazily thought as he entered her that at least one of his fears about her being pregnant was not coming true. He moved her warm hair aside and kissed the back of her damp neck.

TO BE CONTINUED

Please let me know what you think! Reviews and con-crit are appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

* * *

Several days after the crew's stop at Dawes' cafe, Mal stepped onto the bridge. "How're we doin', Wash?" he asked.

"We have about 52 hours till Bedford. The fuel is holding," the pilot reported. "We should get there with a bit to spare. Just a bit though. We have to hope that their refueling station actually _has_ some fuel. And that we do the job without any incident and that we actually get paid for it."

"_Hao le ma_," Mal replied, silencing the litany of problems. The captain knew it was a dark day indeed when Hoban Washburne was worrying himself over every possible hitch. He didn't know if the change in the pilot was due more to the grave circumstances in the 'verse or Wash's fears about taking care of a child. He didn't much care right now either.

Serenity's instrument panel beeped, and a communication from a nearby moon was transmitted to the bridge.

"Is that the Serenity? Captain Reynolds, you here?" asked the voice on the other end.

Mal and Wash exchanged irritated groans. The person contacting them was a fellow named Richard Loster. The crew had dealt with him twice before, and both times felt as if they desperately needed a shower afterwards. Even Jayne. Reynolds and crew often found themselves dealing with unsavory characters, but Loster made even _Badger_ look like a knight.

"Well hey there, Loster," Mal replied.

"So it is you! You stoppin' down on my moon?" Loster's voice was casual and breezy, as if the man had not a care in the 'verse and was immune to its struggles.

"No. We got a job elsewhere – just passin' through." And then, against his better judgment but because he was one paycheck away from desperate, "You got any work for us when we're done?"

"I don't have a job for you. But I would like to propose a trade."

"A trade?" Mal asked, a feeling of trepidation welling up.

"A trade. I got plenty of provisions. How'd you like a whole crate of genuine, A-grade food stuffs? Fully intact and sealed."

A crate could feel the entire crew more than adequately for five or six months. It was a tempting offer.

"What do you want in return?" Mal asked.

"You still got that companion on board? I gotta spend a few days with a woman."

Mal's face darkened, and Wash's frown deepened.

"No," Mal replied flatly. "No companion on this ship."

"No? Too bad. Down on this moon, there aren't any women worth a second glance. They're all middle-aged shrews or lesbians – or both. There were a few whores here but the only one left is so diseased, no one will touch her. I haven't gotten any p--- for a long time," he said, using a degrading term.

And then Loster continued, "Hey, what about that cute mechanic of yours? Or – or – hey, you still got that hot warrior woman?"

"This discussion ends now, Loster," Mal stated, his voice deadly serious and brimming with fury. He held Wash's shoulder back, as if to keep the pilot from leaping up and attacking the view screen –Mal himself wanted to assault the unsightly image of Loster too.

"Oh, _come on_, Mal," Loster continued. "Okay, tell you what. I'm offering you half a crate – _half of an entire gorram crate_ – for just one night with the cute mechanic or with Zoe. That is your warrior hottie's name, right? That's one incredible offer. Who else in these times would offer that just for some sex? Of course I do have specific ideas about what I want to do during my night with one of your girls and ---"

"Loster!" Mal interrupted. "They ain't 'my girls'. My crew ain't available for sale or for barter. That's final."

"Half a crate, Mal!" Loster bellowed.

The Captain turned the viewer off, terminating the conversation. He and Wash both cursed loudly in Chinese, only ceasing when they heard Zoe's voice in the background.

"Don't know if he'd be so interested in me if he saw all this," Zoe deadpanned, patting her protrusion.

"Did you hear everything that _chusheng xai-jiao de xiang huo_ said?" Mal asked.

"More or less. You handled it well, sir."

"How is it that most of the 'verse is starving to death but this _hundan_ is still rich?" Wash groaned.

"'Cause life ain't fair and the good guys never win," Mal concluded.

* * *

Later, the crew sat around the dinner table as per their custom. Mal remembered that during one of their dealings with Loster years ago, the man had had occasion to be on board the ship during dinner. Loster had remarked upon the crew's habit of eating together, astounded that a crew would faithfully sit down to a meal together every day.

"How come there ain't never a ship fulla hot sexy women who want to trade food to have sex with me?" Jayne grumbled.

"Should any of us even dignify that with a response?" Wash remarked as he took a swig of water.

River sat next to Kaylee and spoke, "She is not an it. She doesn't want barter like this."

Kaylee sat with her arms folded in front of her chest. She wished that she hadn't been monitoring the bridge communications today. She wished she could shake the feeling of dirtiness.

Mal looked at Kaylee. "I'm fixin' to forget that I ever spoke to Loster today. Suggest you all might wanna do the same," he said.

"An excellent suggestion, Captain," the Shepherd responded. Despite having chewed thoughtfully at a slow pace, he was now finished with his stack of three nutrition crackers – which meant that he was done with food until mid-day tomorrow. Dinner for the crew was now more of a ritual than anything since it didn't take a person long to consume their small rations.

After dinner, the crew played a brief basketball game. The game was a restrained one – no one had much energy for an all-out brisk game and everyone wanted to avoid the possibility of crashing into Zoe. Mal found the game useful for letting off steam though.

* * *

"What happened today is bothering you. I can tell. Er – well, I suppose it's pretty obvious. That's one thing I love about you. I can always tell what's on your mind," Simon stammered to Kaylee. They found themselves inside his bunk after the basketball game.

Simon's hair was damp and he knew tomorrow he'd have a bruise on his thigh where Jayne collided with him in avid pursuit of the ball. It was the only collision in the otherwise genteel game and Simon understood that it wasn't accidental. The wound on his leg was not Simon's immediate concern though. The downcast eyes of the woman he found himself in love with provided a greater source of concern.

"Shouldn't I feel guilty?" Kaylee asked, her gaze in the direction of the floor as she plopped herself down on the bed.

"Kaylee," Simon began, softly.

"We could sure use those provisions. There's a whole passel of things that can go wrong with our job on Bedford. What if we don't get paid? Or if ---"

"Then we will cross that space dock when we come to it," Simon cut her off. "The Captain always comes up with a plan."

"I dunno. We always get a whole lotta ugly on our jobs and we can't always make it right, 'specially not lately. What if it ever comes down to that, to Loster's proposition? We got eight people on Serenity to feed, with a ninth one on the way."

Simon shook his head. "It won't ever come down to that. Forget that _hundan_ ever made his offer!"

Kaylee perked up slightly at the sound of Simon cursing. But then her thoughts resumed their course. "It ain't easy keepin' a baby alive in the black, though, and we got precious little supplies for Zoe and Wash's baby. My folks lost one a theirs. I's barely old enough to remember it."

Simon's eyes widened. "Really? I had no idea that you had a sibling who passed away."

Kaylee shrugged. "It's real common in the black. Every family's lost a baby or two. You don't got enough food or medicine, it gets really hard to keep the lil' ones alive."

Kaylee went on to describe her sparse memories of her younger brother, who had died three days after his birth. Kaylee had been four at the time and had vague sensations of her mother's depression, her father's frustration, and her own constant thirst at the time due to the long water shortage. She remembered brief images of the funeral, holding on to her older brother's hand and wishing their mother would stop crying. As she spoke, Simon held her hand and listened.

"Guess I gotta keep all this in perspective," Kaylee added. "There's always been rough times in the 'verse. We'll pull through."

"Yes," Simon agreed, with a bit too much enthusiasm in his voice. "And no matter what happens, we are not ever going to allow you to have to consider Loster's proposition. We'll eat our shoes before we take food from that _hundan!"_

Simon turned his head and looked at Kaylee's eyes, which still glistened with sorrow. "You're still upset. I'm sorry – was it wrong of me to ask you to talk about your brother?" Simon asked gently.

"No. That ain't it. It's just…about Loster's offer. I's thinking…is this what _Inara_ does?" Kaylee asked, her voice cracking a bit. "Ain't it a bit like it?"

Simon considered her words. He always wanted to tread lightly on the subject of Kaylee's dear friend. Inara's departure was still a festering wound for the crew. "Well, I think it's different. She chooses her clients. She doesn't have to pick someone out of desperation."

Simon silently wondered how well Inara was riding out the economic collapse. Her clients were wealthy, of course, but apparently even the rich were facing serious hardships nowadays and that would have to be impacting even the most sought-after companions. During her last wave, Inara was vague as to her status though on the surface she seemed placid as usual.

"I always thought her job was so glamorous and all," Kaylee said. "Loster's offer wasn't. It just…made me feel all dirty."

As Simon again counseled her to forget the proposition, his thoughts drifted. For months now, he had been mulling over a question. He wanted to tell Kaylee that he loved her. The couple had not yet exchanged those words. He was certain, now, that he did love her. He was even pretty sure that she felt the same way. But Simon had wanted to find the ideal time and place to tell her that.

Dawes's café had been a beautiful setting, but the two didn't have a moment alone and Simon hardly fancied the idea of telling her in front of the rest of the crew. This was a very serious and private matter. Kaylee apparently hadn't noticed his recent grappling with this matter. Lately, he felt the desire and urge to communicate this with her even more greatly.

"You're right, Simon," Kaylee was saying. "Far as I'm concerned, Loster don't even exist no more!"

"That's the…" Simon's sentence broke off as he looked up to see that River had silently entered the room. She stood before them, her hair in its usual disheveled state, her eyes set with their usual intensity. She did have a slight smile on her face.

"_Mei mei_," he began gently. "It's always good to see you, but remember what I said about knocking?"

River's smiled widened and she looked from her brother to Kaylee. "He loves her," River stated. "He's been wanting to tell her that but has been searching for the right time. It's different than the way he loves me. He loves her and he needs to just tell her already."

Kaylee burst from her sitting position. "She loves him too!" she exclaimed. She reached up and pulled both of the Tams into a hug. It was an awkward hug but the three gripped onto each other tightly.

"Is that really true, Simon?" Kaylee asked, stepping back and almost a bit ashamed of her outburst now. Her cheeks were mildly pink.

"Um, yes," he sputtered. It felt strange with his sister standing right there, and with River being the one to say the words in his place. He was relieved that they were out in the open though he wanted to be the one to tell Kaylee. Inwardly he sighed. Nothing in the 'verse really went the way it he intended, so why should this be any different? He was about to continue when River spoke up again.

"There will never be a right time to tell her, Simon," River said intently. "So tell her now."

Resigned to the fact that River was not going to allow any privacy during this intimate moment, Simon turned towards Kaylee. "I love you," he said simply.

Kaylee grabbed Simon again and smacked her lips against his. "I love you too!" she declared, her eyes dazzled and her smile wide.

Several hours later, the two lay cuddled up together in bed. Both were too stirred up for sleep, though Kaylee kept hoping she would drift off. Sleeping was a wonderful way to pass the time until the next meal, and for every hour Kaylee remained awake, the growls of her stomach increased in intensity.

She felt Simon shift position and flip his pillow over as well. They looked at each other in the darkness and soon fell into an easy conversation.

"Do you think River's lonely?" Simon wondered, keeping his voice to a whisper. He rubbed an eye. "She comes in here sometimes, like today…" his sentence drifted off.

"We both spend time with her," Kaylee said. "It ain't like we leave her alone."

"I love that you do that," Simon admitted. "You've made her a friend, and I really appreciate that. I always have."

Kaylee shrugged. "I gotta have girlfriends. I like havin' 'em. And with Inara gone, it's been rough on me. There's Zoe – but, heck, her personal life pretty much revolves around her husband and her captain and she ain't ever had much interest in hangin' with me too much. I like bein' with River." Kaylee paused and took a breath. "But I guess she'll always be a bit alone. No matter how much time we spend with her none of us can really understand her. Or what she's been through."

* * *

The job on Bedford proved to be a moderate success. The buyers kept up their end of the agreement and Serenity's crew found itself being paid, though only after a spirited chase from the local authorities. They had to leave the planet with great haste. Their payment was enough to keep them flying and eating for the next several weeks. For once, fortune seemed to smile on the crew.

But then, no further jobs could be lined up. During the following weeks, the crew kept all eyes and ears open, and made several stops on surrounding planets and moons. So far, they had no success locating additional work. Their food supplies would again be dwindling soon unless a new job could be found.

Several weeks after leaving Bedford, Zoe was in the infirmary. Her labor had started, and all signs indicated that it would be a long one.

Wash and Kaylee sat outside the infirmary together. She had seen him sitting there alone and went up to him. The rest of the crew was keeping their distance, though the captain and shepherd had stopped by.

"Don't you wanna be in there?" Kaylee asked, placing a hand over Wash's and tilting her head towards the infirmary. He reached for the hand she offered and clutched it to his damp one.

The two people whom Wash and Kaylee loved – _adored_, really -- were inside the room with its transparent windows, engaged in a struggle to bring forth new life, Kaylee mused. She then corrected her thoughts. Really, the struggle was Zoe's. Simon would assist but Zoe was the one who would have to bring this baby into the world. Kaylee had seen many babies born, on her home planet. Her mother sometimes assisted with the births and when Kaylee was young, she'd tag along even though she preferred to assist her dad with his work instead.

"She doesn't want me in there right now," Wash said flatly.

Kaylee looked at him. His eyes were haggard. Her own eyes narrowed at his words. "You sure 'bout that?" She was worried about Wash. She hadn't heard him crack a joke for days.

Wash shrugged. "She's been in labor for seven hours and we've still got a long way to go before that baby's born."

"So?"

"Well, she yelled at me that she wanted me out. She's probably going to toss Simon out any minute now," Wash stated plainly.

Kaylee smiled at the thought of the very-pregnant Zoe getting into a physical confrontation with Simon. Zoe would probably still win.

"Do you want a baby someday, Kaylee?" Wash asked, seeing the bemusement on her face and wanting to know its source.

Kaylee nodded. "Someday. But not any time soon. I'm too young right now." She paused, and her smile grew wider. "Simon would be a great dad. The way he takes care of River proves it."

Wash nodded. Indeed the doctor knew all about self-sacrifice and thought nothing about giving up everything he owned to save someone for whom he was the caretaker. For some reason, this thought depressed Wash.

"What about you, Wash? You're gonna be a Daddy. You excited right now?"

Excitement was not the prevalent emotion being experienced by Wash. This was going to be such a change, he reflected silently. His emotional life centered around Zoe and around Serenity. Mostly Zoe now, ever since they married. He always knew -- despite the fact that Zoe didn't verbalize it that often -- that she felt the same way. But from this day forward, Zoe's focus would be around the child. In all likelihood, for the rest of the days that she and Wash would be alive, Zoe's interests and concerns would center on their daughter. Wash would still be important to her but not in the same way anymore, and that fact felt like a little death inside of him. He had known from the moment he assented to the idea of having a baby that it would be this way, and now it was all coming to fruition.

Not that he could say he hadn't agreed to this when he gave Zoe the engagement necklace, the pilot reminded himself. Zoe had brought up the subject of having children more than once before they made their vows. Wash was so in love that he would have consented to anything -- say raising pet boa constrictors or swallowing tar every morning -- in order to marry Zoe.

Simon would be different than that, Wash thought. He would indeed make a wonderful father since he had no problem with neglecting himself for the sake of another.

Wash didn't quite want to verbalize all of this to Kaylee. "Mostly I'm nervous," he admitted. "I just hope it goes alright."

Kaylee was surprised at seeing this side of the pilot. "_Of course_ it will be alright," she insisted. "Zoe's so strong, and she's got a great doctor to help her through this." Kaylee glanced at the infirmary and back at the worried husband. "You know, I bet Zoe does want you in there. Even if she yells a bit. Women say a lot of strange things in labor."

Wash nodded. Maybe, he thought, his fears were somewhat unfounded. Zoe would always love him, too. She really could have had her pick of any (well, _lots of_) men, but she'd chosen him to marry and to father her child. She took her vows seriously and she wouldn't neglect the marriage. "You're right, Kaylee," he said, as he got to his feet.

When Wash entered the infirmary, Zoe was engaged in an argument of sorts with Simon.

"I just think it's better if you lay down," Simon said, in a tone that Wash knew meant the doctor had already conceded.

"Layin' on my back ain't helpin' anything. Gonna let gravity do some work now," Zoe said, managing a slight and weary smile in Wash's direction. "Help me up, husband." As Wash assisted Zoe to her feet, she said, "I feel the need to move."

Simon nodded and then, sensing the couple wanted privacy and knowing he couldn't do much now anyway, headed for the door. "I'll be right out here."

Wash held Zoe's hand as she stood and took a few steps around the small sick bay. "Sorry I yelled at you earlier," she said.

"I think we can make a special exception to the rules of marital etiquette today," he responded. He looked around the room for a sponge. "Do you want me to wipe your brow now?"

"I think the brow-wiping is going to be really needed in a few hours, when I'm pushing the baby out."

"I'll be at the ready then."

Zoe shook her head. "This is gonna be a long labor," she predicted. "I heard some of 'em can take 72 hours."

"I really hope our – I mean, your – labor won't be that long."

Zoe raised an eyebrow at his change of pronoun. "Think it will be _our_ labor. This'll be rough on both of us."

"Maybe. But I'm not the one feeling the contractions!"

_Two hours later _

Wash had his dinosaurs in the infirmary. He positioned them along Zoe's body. One of the dinosaurs grunted and groaned during an agonizing labor, but was soon delivered of a beautiful baby dinosaur (which Wash didn't have an action figure for, and had to represent with a cotton ball). The baby dinosaur made some of the strangest sounds ever to come from Wash's mouth.

River stuck her head in the room and pointed out that Wash's reenactment of dinosaur interactions contained numerous inaccuracies about the actual lives and workings of dinosaurs. Wash threw the cotton ball at her.

Zoe watched their interplay and muttered, "I already have a thirty-one year old child named Hoban – why did I want another one?" Wash laughed merrily, seeing how he brought some real glee to his struggling wife.

_Four hours later _

The shepherd walked in and offered to read a passage from the bible. Zoe wasn't religious but she did like the sound of Book's voice, so she listened.

Mal soon entered and, trying to be humorous, told Zoe that he had an urgent job for her and needed her to suit up for combat immediately. He said that he hoped her bullet-proof vest would still fit. Wash quickly explained that Zoe was not in the mood for humor now as Zoe made a face at the captain that Mal had never seen before.

_Nine hours later _

"Feel like I've been in labor for days," Zoe managed. She had just survived a round of intensely painful contractions. She couldn't even try to explain her experience with the pain. She simply had nothing to compare it to. No bullet wound or knife gash caused this amount of agony. They weren't even on the same scale. She thought of using a few analogies, such as 'being torn open' or 'feeling so much pain I want to jump out of my skin', but Zoe generally didn't take to colorful metaphors and besides, she knew from looking at her husband that he was trying to understand her ordeal. She knew in her bones that he was looking at her and wishing that it was him bearing the utter misery instead.

"I suppose you don't want to hear any more clichés or hear me say again that it'll all be over soon, right?" Wash asked.

Zoe tried to look around the infirmary but was too weak to sit up. She wanted confirmation that the two of them were alone.

"What is it, _bao bei_?" he asked. "You want me to get Simon?"

Zoe shook her head. Wash reached for a towel and patted at the sweat that had not yet begun to dry on her face. "It will all be worth it when we're holding her in our arms." He then rolled his eyes. "That's the third time I've said that phrase, isn't it? I really need to come up with new comfort words."

"Still nice to hear," Zoe said, having none of Wash's attempts at levity now. She looked intently at her husband. "You wanna get some shut-eye?" she asked. "We can wake you when we're close."

Wash shook his head. "I'd rather stay here with you. We started this together; let's finish it together."

"Very poetic, dear but no point in both of us sufferin'."

He shrugged. "I could go back to our bunk but I'm not going to be able to get much sleep anyway. I'll stay here."

He paused and tried to discern the expression on Zoe's face. Whatever it was, the expression was obscured by the agony. He had a momentary flash of a thought that perhaps she wanted to bear this pain alone. "Do you…want me to leave?"

Zoe considered the thought for a few seconds, deciding. She then shook her head and answered, "No."

While glad to hear her sentiment, Wash felt a rising panic fluttering up through his insides as he realized what that certain look on his wife's face indicated. Zoe was _afraid_. Fear was not an emotion he associated with her, ever. She had always been able to enter any situation, whether it be with someone like Badger or with (and Wash shuddered at this thought) Niska, and Zoe never displayed any palpable fear. But the combination of her eyes being open a bit wider than usual and the set of her jaw made Wash start to worry.

"Zoe," he began quietly, "are you….a bit scared?"

Zoe let out a deep breath – as deep as she could manage right now – and grimaced with pain before answering. "Yeah," she admitted. "'Fraid I ain't gonna even have the energy left to push. When it's time."

Wash listened, nodded, and then encouraged her, "Go on," suspecting there was more and wanting her to flush it out.

"Thought all this would be easier," Zoe managed, after a long pause. "Knew it wouldn't be easy but didn't think it would be this hard. And I'm mad that I'm this weak, am havin' such a hard time with the pain. Been shot before, been stabbed, gone for days without eatin' or drinkin' before -- this is harder. A lot harder." She gritted her teeth and uncharacteristically repeated herself, "I'm mad at myself."

"Zoe, you can't be mad at yourself," Wash said fervently. He then added, "Well, you _could_ if you wanted I guess, but what's the point? You're doing a great job with this labor thing! I mean, I know that only being the husband I really have no idea what you're going through, but from my viewpoint I think you're handling it really well. You don't seem weak at all to me and I think you're doing an incredible job."

"You ain't upset to see me like this?" she asked. "Weak. And afraid." She tried to ask the question evenly and without quivering. She knew that one of the aspects he loved about her was her courage and toughness.

"Actually, I think you're stronger than ever, especially because you _admitted_ that you're afraid. That's not easy to do, and I know it's really hard for you. For what it's worth, I admire you more than anything now."

"It's worth the whole damn 'verse to me!" Zoe said, fervently.

A few hours later, Zoe and Wash found that the pain truly was all worth it. They held their daughter together, looking at her tiny hands and feet, her reddish face, the thick black hair on her head. She wailed loudly and powerfully. When Zoe took her in her arms, the baby eventually quieted down.

Zoe looked exhausted and content, Wash exhausted and awed. But their fatigue was brushed aside in favor of bliss. Wash kissed his wife's cheek and wanted to say something about how moved he was to hold _this_, this product of their love. But for once he was worried that he might sound sappy and he said nothing, even bypassing making gurgling sounds at the baby for now.

The girl's official name was Theresa Alleyne Washburne, but they planned on calling her Tess. She was a small baby, a mere wisp at 5 lbs, 2 ounces.

Simon pronounced her healthy, bearing out the results of the pre-natal tests. Although the girl was small and facing borderline malnutrition – as was the entire crew – she appeared in about as good condition as possible.

When the rest of the crew was allowed to visit, Kaylee produced a tiny yellow ribbon which Zoe affixed to Tess's hair. She cooed cheerfully at the infant. Kaylee kissed Simon before ending her visit.

Jayne looked at the baby and said a sincere, "Wow." He didn't ask if he could hold her though.

"Beautiful spirit," River murmured. "Fragile and small, a tiny vessel in this big world."

Book's eyes lit up and he looked sincerely joyous. He congratulated the parents and offered to christen Tess if Zoe and Wash ever so decided.

Mal looked steadily at the baby. She appeared so fragile and vulnerable, and he still thought his first mate and pilot were mildly insane for bringing her into the 'verse and onto his ship. Even as he sincerely thought that though, he looked at the baby and felt part of his insides turn to jelly. He gazed at the tiny infant and whispered, "Welcome to my crew."

"In a few years, she'll be a gun-toting, dinosaur-playing pilot warrior!" Wash proclaimed to the captain, his voice swelling with pride.

Mal gave a half-smile at Wash's words. He exchanged a look with Zoe before leaving the infirmary, and it was a look which Zoe knew well. The captain was worried.

And he wasn't the only one. Zoe and Wash had to hope that Zoe's breast milk would hold out and sustain Tess. With every morsel of food being monitored, Zoe needed to produce enough nutrients to keep the baby alive.

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

Feedback is welcomed and appreciated.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

* * *

"That oughtta hold her," Kaylee said with pride. One of the instrument panels on the bridge had broken and while it was something that Wash could likely fix, he felt that Kaylee was better suited to the task. The mechanic had eagerly bounded onto the bridge and completed the repairs. She rolled out from under the panel, hopped to her feet, and wiped her hands on her jumpsuit.

"How did you do it?" Wash asked.

Kaylee talked him through the specifics of the repair, thereby convincing Wash that he could fix it himself next time it broke.

"But that's only gonna hold her a few more times," Kaylee concluded. "We really need a new part. Guess we can add it to the list, huh."

Wash shrugged. "That list is as long as the back hall," he said. "But until we get another job, there's not much we can do about any of them. And they're always going to take a back-seat to things such as, you know, food and water and fuel. Minor items."

"I know," Kaylee said, shaking her head as if to dismiss the topic. She hated dwelling on their predicament. During the past few months, the situation in the 'verse had continued to degenerate. Serenity's last job had been three months ago. Kaylee was now completely used to hunger gnawing at her insides; her stomach had adjusted and the pangs came less frequently. One day Kaylee had observed Jayne opening the spice cabinet, reaching the jar of thyme and eating bits of the spice by itself.

"So how's Tess?" Kaylee asked, eager for a more pleasant topic. The question was a bit superfluous given that Kaylee, and the rest of the crew, saw the baby every day due to the close quarters they lived in. Kaylee especially enjoyed babysitting Tess whenever Zoe and Wash needed a few moments of quiet.

Inara had shipped a present for Tess to the postal station in Persephone, but the crew wasn't near the planet and didn't know when they would have enough fuel to stop by there.

"Oh, she's just adorable. I think she's going to look like me," Wash replied with overstated pride. "Although for Tess's sake I really hope she'll resemble her mother instead. But I think she'll have my nose anyway." He paused, and added, "I can't believe our luck in having a baby who sleeps through the entire night."

He was, however, concerned that part of the reason the baby slept so well and cried infrequently was that she lacked energy. Simon confirmed that Tess was, like the rest of the crew now, undernourished. "That rattle you made her is quite charming," Wash added. Tess was just beginning to grasp things in her hands. Wash added, "In fact, I kind of enjoy shaking it myself when I get upset!"

Kaylee smirked at the thought of Wash using the rattle, and she crossed her arms, adding, "I guess we all gotta have our outlets. Though I don't really get _some_ people's outlets." Her last sentence contained a particular fervency.

"What do you mean?" Wash asked lightly, glad Kaylee was finally hinting at whatever was bothering her. During breakfast it had been pretty clear that the normally unrestrained Kaylee was trying to harness her emotions, and that today they were not pretty ones.

Kaylee sighed audibly. "It's Simon!" she admitted, not surprising Wash in the least. "He never tells me when he's upset at me. You wanna know how I found out? Last night River walks into engineering and starts talkin'. I had no idea what she was yammerin' about 'till I realized she was repeatin' what Simon was feelin'."

"Really?" Wash asked. "Was he mad at something? Something you did?"

Reticence suddenly overcame Kaylee and she started to feel unsure that she wanted to share all the details with Wash. "A lil bit of that an' a lil bit of him being worried 'bout somethin'. But I ain't even upset so much 'bout _what_ it was that was botherin' him. I'm more upset that he keeps it to himself!"

Wash nodded sagely. "You've got a good point. For a relationship to do well, you need to be able to talk to each other about everything. Well, not every single thing but the important things anyway."

"I know! But Simon thinks he's bein' all gentlemanly or somethin' by not tellin' me what's eatin' him. And heck he probably thinks I talk too much 'bout this stuff. And worst of all," Kaylee shook her head, "is that it took River waltzin' in to engineerin' to tell me that somethin's up with him."

"This isn't the first time River's been the go-between in your relationship," Wash observed.

"I know. An' it's gotta stop. We're ruttin' pathetic if we gotta have an 18 year old girl help us talk to each other!" Kaylee declared, though she herself wasn't actually that much older than River. She paused and asked, "So, what about you? Does Zoe open up to you?"

"Heck no! Getting her to talk about how she feels is about as easy as outrunning an Alliance cruiser on half-engine strength." Wash smiled and added, "I'm just kidding. She talks more now, though it definitely does not come naturally or easy to her. But she has always taken our relationship seriously from the moment we first got together, and that helps a lot because she knows she needs to talk through things with me even if she prefers not to. And I think Simon takes your relationship seriously too, which may be why he doesn't want to tell you directly when something's bothering him. That whole he-think-he's-showing-respect thing."

Kaylee nodded, considering his words. "He probably ain't tryin' to be _chun_. He just ain't sure what to do."

Wash shrugged. "Why don't you try to talking to him? Tell him about River's visit and how much you'd appreciate it if he'd discuss those things with you. Just don't assume the worst about him for not talking to you. I think it's just one of those things about how a rich young man was brought up."

Kaylee once again nodded and said, "I'll talk to him."

An instrument panel beeped. Wash looked at it and frowned.

"A communication?" Kaylee asked, looking at the panel. "From….oh," she said, her face now mirroring Wash's frown. "From Loster's Moon. _Tianna_."

"I think maybe I'll not answer it."

The Captain entered the bridge. "Not answer what?" he asked. He then directed his eyes to the panel, as the instrument sounded once more.

"Gonna at least see what the _hundan_ wants," Mal decided. "He might have a job for us – a reasonable one." Mal did not need to explain himself further. Loster had proposed an outrageous deal with the crew last time, but in the past he had given them legitimate (by Serenity's standards) jobs. And their diminished food supply served as a constant reminder that they needed work.

"Captain Reynolds! So nice to see you're still flying and not too far from my sector," Richard Loster smiled as his face filled the viewscreen. "We don't see that many ships pass by here anymore. Hey, did you hear about Captain Markova and her crew?"

"No," the Captain replied flatly. He had known Markova as their ships used to compete for jobs. While the two crews were not friends, they weren't enemies either.

"I heard about it from some traders. Her ship, the Haakona, got attacked by pirates. Not Reavers, but pirates. Some really awful folk too. They took the ship, all their cargo and supplies, they raped all the women – including the captain, which I can't believe given that she's such an ugly old _pofu_. They left a few survivors on Higgins' Moon. Maybe they like leaving survivors so they can tell the tale and send the message to be afraid. Anyway, it's a damn shame. Her crew was supposed to be bringing me some supplies, and they had a companion on board too who I was going to buy for a few nights."

As Kaylee felt an intense sensation of dread and nausea overtake her, Mal looked calmly back at Loster's image. "How did the pirates overtake the Haakona? What tactics did they use? Do they have weapons on their vessel? Do they use stun gas? What sort of ships they flyin'?"

Wash was furiously scrolling through the Cortex. The report, which had been posted within the last few hours, was vague on all of Reynolds' questions and provided no useful information.

Loster grinned and shrugged. "You might say that I know some of that information but maybe I'm not yet ready to share it." His eyes appeared to shift and Kaylee shuddered. She could tell that he was looking directly at her.

Mal digested those words. He hadn't given up on trying to acquire some answers from Loster, but decided to take a different route. "So you didn't get the supplies that Markova was bringing you? You got any jobs for us, Loster? We could use some work."

"Yeah, you and every other living being in the 'verse!" Loster said, cackling at his words and delighted to not be in the same predicament as others. "Nah, I don't have any jobs for you. Commerce is pretty slow lately and the supplies Markova had for me were just toys and other things for playtime." He sighed pointedly and said, "Tough times in the 'verse. You all look like you've lost some weight. But, hey, my offer from before is still on. I'll still trade you half a crate of A-grade food stuffs for a night with Kaylee or Zoe." He leered at the mechanic as she spoke the last sentence.

"_Bi zui_, Loster," Mal said.

"Oh come on, Reynolds! I haven't been laid in like eight months now. A man's got needs!"

"You're lookin' to get 'em met in the wrong place."

"You really can afford to turn this down now?" Loster asked incredulously. "I'm shocked; you must have more supplies than you're letting on. Okay, tell you what. I'll trade you half a crate plus all the information I know about the pirates. That'll make your ship more safe."

"Don't you ever contact my ship with this _gou pi_ again," Mal demanded, before he flipped a switch and ended the conversation.

Mal, Wash, and Kaylee all looked at each other awkwardly. Kaylee had a faint blush on her cheeks as she said, "I'd best get back to engineering."

For a second, it looked as if Mal would let her go quietly. But he gently took his mechanic's arm and said, intently, "Kaylee, I want you to forget about Loster's offer. Hear? You didn't hear any gorram offer today."

Kaylee was frozen for a second, and then nodded mutely. Mal said, "That's good, _mei mei_."

As Kaylee plodded towards the hall, all three knew that the offer wouldn't soon be forgotten. Nor would the fate of the Haakona's crew.

When Kaylee had left, Wash said quietly, "Damn that bastard. The least he could do is tell us what he knows about those pirates."

Mal skimmed the cortex report, as Wash said, "Not much helpful information on there."

Mal nodded at the brief report and said, "I'd fly us to Higgins' Moon right now so we could find out exactly what happened from the survivors themselves, but we don't got enough fuel to get us anywhere near there." He paused and added, "I'll talk to Zoe and Jayne. See what we can do to bulk up our defenses." They had other weapons, but the most powerful one -- Vera --- had been sold months ago to purchase fuel.

"How's our supply of ammo?" Wash asked, knowing the answer.

"About the same as our food supply."

* * *

Once again, Simon found himself expressing a sentiment that the Simon of five years ago would have never imagined.

"Can't we just steal his supplies? Why doesn't the captain plan a raid on Loster's Moon and _take_ the goods?" the doctor asked.

Book poured himself a cup of the warm water that now served as the crew's only tea. He sat on Simon's other side and shook his head. "Loster has a _lingren jingyi_ defense system. Many have tried to break it and all have failed." As always, the preacher had done his research.

"We actually looked into what it would take to disable it --- last time he had us on a job couple a years ago," Kaylee added. She was staring at her water and stirring it with a finger. "It would take equipment that Serenity don't got and can't make, and a computer genius like Mr. Universe too since the minute the grid senses it's bein' tampered with, it re-sets everything. That's what got the last crew tried to bust through."

"He has ground troops too," the Shepherd continued. "Several of them are former Alliance, very tough. For three weak soldiers to go up against it would be suicide." He paused and added, "Of course please understand that I mean no offense in referring to the captain, Zoe, and Jayne as weak."

"We're all weak now," Simon stated. "Uh, physically weak. It's a matter of fact."

Jayne entered the dining room and asked if the others wanted to begin a card game. Kaylee declined, but the others accepted.

"I'm gonna lay down in my bunk," Kaylee called to the others. Her head pounded with the thoughts that assaulted her mind.

* * *

River sat on the floor of the cargo bay, absentmindedly fingering a few dice and cards. She wanted the game of a few hours earlier to continue, but the others had disbursed.

"There you are," Simon called, descending the steps to reach his sister. "I was wondering where you went off to."

River didn't return his cordial greeting and only continued to gaze as she ran the dice against her fingers and palms. As Simon sat next to her, he took in the sight and knew that River was not having one of her better moments.

"Are you alright?" he asked, tenderly.

"We'd be back there," she said, staring at some indiscernible object across the cargo bay. "You would. There's food on Osiris, and safety -- if you're rich. And we were. You left all of that because of me. You wouldn't be a bug clinging to a leaf on a rushing river heading towards the waterfall and about to fall over!" she said, speaking the last sentence rapidly and ending it in a loud crescendo.

Simon was silent as he allowed River's words to be absorbed. "_Mei mei_," he began, his voice just above a whisper, "we've talked about this before. Where I am meant to be is with _you_. I won't lie and say that life on Serenity is easy or fun. But," he said, squatting so he faced her and taking her shoulders in his hands, "if living on Osiris meant leaving you with the Alliance, then I would take _this_ life over Osiris. Any day, without hesitation."

River shook her head and looked her brother directly in the eye. "It's my fault that you're here. That you don't have enough to eat."

"It's not your fault," Simon said, his voice strong and passionate. "It's not your fault the Alliance imprisoned you and did horrible things to you. It's not your fault that we had to go all the way out here to get away from them." He paused and took a breath. "Besides, there are plenty of things on this ship that I like better than Osiris, and I think you feel the same way. We wouldn't have met Kaylee without all of this, and we both love her."

Encouraged by a semi-enthusiastic nod from River, Simon continued, "And it's…it's nice sitting around that table having dinner with everyone." Simon smiled and added, "Even though there's not much to eat and even though I could do without Jayne sometimes."

But Simon looked at River again and saw that she was lost, once more, in her own thoughts and own world. "It's not easy for him either," she said, referring to her brother and gazing into the distance again. "He always has to be the caretaker of others."

"It's okay. I'm a doctor, a healer. I think that taking care of other people is just one of the things I was meant to do. Like dancing is for you. Or astrophysics."

Simon had meant his words to be taken seriously, but River scrunched up her face, realizing that she hadn't done astrophysics for a while and it had lost some of its charm. She started to laugh.

Unsure of what else to do and glad that River seemed stable, Simon shrugged and laughed too.

* * *

Wash had rigged a pulley-like device in which they could place Tess and gently lower her from the main hall into their bunk. Both Wash and Zoe were ones to take risks, but not when it came to their daughter; they didn't want to chance one of them tripping while descending the ladder with baby in tow. Once inside his bunk that night, Wash removed Tess from the device and placed her safely inside her snug crib.

Moments later, Zoe entered the room. She headed straight for the crib and eyed the baby. Slowly she touched one of her fingers to Tess's delicate skin.

"She's so quiet," Zoe whispered.

Wash swallowed and tried to beat back the fears he'd harbored during the past several months. "She was such a kicker when she was in the womb."

"I remember. Vividly." Zoe's pained eyes were still on the baby. Her mouth was dry. She finally decided to verbalize the fear that festered inside. "Guess there's a chance she might not make it."

The words were now out in the open. The terrifying possibility, which had been mulled over and contemplated for weeks, had now been spoken aloud.

Wash stood next to Zoe and put his arms around her. "She might."

"Not if we don't get more food though," Zoe said quietly. She returned the embrace, putting her hands over Wash's. "She ain't sick at all – which is a miracle. She just ain't gettin' enough to eat. I ain't producin' enough milk."

"Maybe I could change my food rations again. I could just eat every _other_ day."

As Wash said the words, Zoe shook her head. "We can't cut your food anymore than we already did. No sense in you dyin'. Or in you bein' too weak to remember how to fly the ship."

She turned her head to look at her husband. His blue eyes didn't sparkle the way they used to and his skin was sallow. "We gotta do somethin' or we're gonna lose Tess," Zoe said. "Hell, might lose all of us in a few more weeks we don't get more food." Zoe spoke the truth. At the paltry rate the crew was consuming their food, there would be none left in just under three weeks.

Wash's blood chilled. He knew it was not a coincidence that Zoe was bringing this up on this very evening.

He began slowly, "You can't possibly mean…." and allowed his voice to trail off.

"I think we gotta consider it," Zoe said evenly. "The thought makes me sick. But we might not have a choice."

Wash suddenly felt weak. He backed away, towards the bed, and seated himself on the edge. Zoe followed him, sat next to her husband, and grasped one of his hands.

"It ain't a decision I'd make by myself," Zoe continued. "I'm married to you and I wouldn't do this unless you agreed to it."

Wash kept his gaze squarely on Tess. He nodded, just to show Zoe that he was listening.

"We ain't had a job in months," Zoe continued, despair in her voice. "We ain't gonna get one. We ain't even passed a planet that's had supplies for weeks, and we're runnin' outta fuel. Loster's got food and fuel."

Wash slumped his head into his hands. This was maddening, it was disgusting, it was horrifying. He then squeezed his eyes shut and forced his mind to concentrate. As horrific as it was, the possibility of losing Tess was even worse. And given what Zoe's role in this would be, if it came to that, Wash began to realize that he would not be the one directly experiencing the very worst of it. Several moments of silence passed.

He slowly turned his head towards his wife and met her eyes. "It's your decision," he whispered. "Whatever you do, I love you."

Zoe took a breath. She was not one for long-windedness but she had a lot, by her standards, that she needed to communicate. "I know that I don't gotta ask this stuff but I'm gonna," Zoe began. "If I go through with this, you still gonna know that I love you? You gonna understand that I don't wanna do it, don't wanna break our vows? You gonna…" Zoe nearly choked on a shred of her dignity and quietly finished, "…take me back?"

"God Zoe, I'd sleep with that bastard myself if I could spare you from having to do it!" Wash said fervently. "And you know damn well that the answer to all your questions is yes."

Zoe nodded. "I know. But I wanted to say it and ask it anyway."

Wash pulled Zoe into a tight hug. They held each other close, sitting motionlessly on the bed for several minutes. Finally Zoe broke off the embrace and went to look for Mal.

* * *

Zoe found her captain on the bridge. They greeted each other and Mal continued to look at the map. They had visited nearly every inhabited planet and moon that was within reasonable distance, and none had jobs. Most didn't have adequate food or water for their own populations.

"I was reckoning that maybe we oughta head over to Daedalus," the captain said. "Their mine was in decent shape last we checked. Maybe we can get work there. They might need more guards. Or miners. It ain't the kinda work we'd like but I'll take anything that'll get my crew fed."

"We don't got enough fuel to get there," Zoe stated. Wash had discussed that with her in detail, several days ago. Daedalus was far away. Even if they tried to finish the journey by drifting, their chances of reaching the place were about zero. And setting the ship to drift in a 'verse with pirates flying freely was not a smart idea either. Furthermore, Zoe doubted that Mal's rosy prediction about the state of the mining operation would prove accurate. Last the crew had heard, the Daedalus mine operated without basic safety precautions and experienced casualties every week.

She began anew, "Captain, I've decided to take Loster up on his offer. I'm gonna bargain hard with him, make him give us at least two crates and some fuel. And tell us everything he knows about the attack on the Haakona."

Mal opened his mouth though no words came out. Her decision was shocking and, for a moment, he was truly speechless. Another surprise came when she didn't allow him to verbalize his thoughts.

"Sir, I'd appreciate if we didn't discuss this much. The decision's mine to make and it's final." She paused and continued to look steadily at his eyes. "This don't make me a whore. I'm doin' this to keep my baby alive. And the rest of the crew."

Mal's face remained frozen. He finally blinked and responded, saying each word slowly, "I would never – _ever_ – use that word to describe you," he whispered.

Zoe nodded and was ready to get down to business. "Let's wave him."

Loster's Moon was about three or four days away.

* * *

Jayne knew better than to leer at Zoe or to say anything on the topic. The crew took their next meal together, as they always did, and Jayne avoided eye contact with Zoe as he chewed on the meager rations. He had a few ideas of what he would do if he had Loster's money but he wisely kept those thoughts to himself.

Guilt and shame haunted the dinner table. Various crew members felt guilt that soon they would be eating more food. Their bellies would soon stop moaning and most of the crew was not going to have to directly sacrifice anything for it.

Kaylee felt guilty that she would not be participating in Loster's offer. When Zoe and the Captain had negotiated with him, he had offered more crates in exchange for Kaylee's attentions as well. Not a word was spoken to Kaylee suggesting that she agree to it, but Kaylee felt silent reproach pointing at her, though most of it was her own. She had to force back tears. When they didn't quiver with fear, her insides felt filled with dirt.

Jayne looked at Kaylee's face and, for a moment, reconsidered his notions of what he might do if he had lots of money.

Mal felt embarrassment at being a man. Growing up under the caring tutelage of his mother, surrounded by ranch hands but without a father, he had heard of and seen many of the things his gender inflicted upon the other. His blood boiled and shame increased at thoughts of what his first mate – the most loyal and competent first mate a captain could wish for --- would have to endure.

Simon's thoughts were not unlike Mal's. Additionally, he felt extreme and inexplicable relief that Kaylee would not be partaking in Zoe's grim work. Needless to say, the thought of River doing so had never been at all considered.

Although she had never even exchanged a word with Loster, River felt -- deep inside her bones -- that she somehow was being cheapened and degraded.

Book knew he would be saying many prayers during the next few days. He would pray for Zoe, for Wash, for their marriage (though he had every confidence the bond would endure), and for their daughter. Most of all he prayed for Loster. God worked in strange ways, Book believed. Perhaps at the last minute Loster might have an epiphany and decide to share his rations with the crew without asking for this in return. The preacher was not holding his breath, but anything was possible with God's help.

Zoe kept her head held high and an imaginary mask over her features. When she snuck glances at Mal and the others, her shell nearly cracked. They felt her agony, and she knew it. She was the first to leave the dinner table, with her husband close behind.

"God, Wash," Zoe whispered when they were alone. "Weren't for you lovin' me, I'd be crazy by now." She suddenly despised the vulnerability in her voice even as he pulled her into his arms and murmured that he loved her.

* * *

Kaylee tinkered around the engine room. Focusing on Serenity's shabby parts and their needs felt even more soothing today. Serenity may have been old and in desperate need of upgrades, but she also was predictable and kind to her crew.

Kaylee heard gentle footsteps approaching. "Are you coming to bed?" Simon asked softly.

"I'm gonna hang here for a while," Kaylee answered. She forced a smile in her lover's direction.

"Is there…something with the ship that needs looking after?" he asked, standing next to her and eyeing the machinery that Kaylee was working on. She had given him a few brief tutorials on Serenity's workings. Simon and Kaylee's areas of expertise were quite different, but both had exceptionally keen minds and enjoyed hearing about the other's specialty. "That's the grav boot, right?" he asked, pointing.

Kaylee nodded. "That's it. An' no, there ain't nothin' wrong with Serenity tonight. I just kinda feel like hangin' out here. I don't wanna keep you up. You go on and go to sleep. I'll sleep in my own bunk so's I don't wake you when I turn in."

Simon furrowed his brow, wondering if he would ever be able to understand Kaylee. "Kaylee, honey. You're not avoiding me, are you?"

She shook her head. Simon persisted, "I ask because I can tell that something is on your mind. A-and I'm concerned, because it's not like you to keep it all to yourself. So, I, uh, wanted to ask if you felt like talking about things with me."

Kaylee turned to face him directly, removing her gaze from the machinery. "Why?" she asked. "You don't never confide in me when somethin's up."

Simon instinctively stepped back and grimaced. For such a sweet and loving human being, Kaylee could sure whip out a knife and stab at one's vulnerable spot when she wanted to.

"River paid you a visit yesterday, didn't she?" Simon acknowledged. He knew this because she had also paid her brother a follow-up visit.

"Simon, I just don't see why you can't go to me an' tell me what's on your mind. It ain't like I bite! And if we don't get to talkin' and workin' stuff out, we're gonna end up like my brother and his wife who didn't even talk to each other at the end, just stayed together 'cause they had a baby…" Kaylee's voice broke off because it started to tremble. She herself was shaking slightly.

Simon extended his arms and pulled her into a warm hug. He soothingly said, "Kaylee, I promise to try to do a better job in confiding in you. I'm not used to talking about these things. I'm not used to _being_ in a relationship at all, but I will try my best to change this." He paused slightly and then said, "I think, though, that this isn't what's really bothering you right now, is it?"

Just as Kaylee could use her words as weapons, Simon could latch onto an insight that reached to the heart of the matter. She slowly, and hesitantly, pulled away from the hug.

Simon continued, "Are you more upset about Loster than about me not confiding in you?"

Kaylee's body still trembled, and she slowly shook her head. Simon nearly stepped back when he saw the look of terror on her face. "I'm most worried 'bout the gorram pirates," Kaylee admitted.

Simon inexplicably felt his face grow warm as he silently berated himself for missing the obvious. "Oh. Of course," he stumbled.

He then opened his mouth to say some reassuring words, but closed it again. What could he say? Serenity was a sitting duck in this vast, cold blackness. Danger hovered, holding its breath and waiting, while all the crew could do was cling to each other in this lifeboat as they were buffeted by forces beyond their control. Simon lived in a 'verse where the two people he loved the most could be bartered over like chattel or subjected to unimaginable violence, and he was virtually powerless to defend them. He hadn't been able to protect River from the horrors at the hands of the Alliance, and didn't think he could protect her again. He couldn't even think of anything reassuring to say to Kaylee.

If Serenity encountered the pirate vessel, their only hope would be to outrun it. If the pirate ship had weapons, they were in deep trouble. If the pirate ship could overtake Serenity and force its airlock open, Serenity would be in deep trouble. If they had many fighters – which a pirate ship was certain to – then Serenity's fate would again be sealed no matter how valiantly its exhausted crew might fight back.

"I, uh, I wish I could say or do something," Simon stammered.

"An' I wish I was Zoe. Or Inara. Zoe'd be all ready to fight and not crumbling and weak. Inara'd be calm and cool. She wouldn't be hurt by all this crap with Loster."

As Simon walked with Kaylee back to her bunk, his arm around her shoulders, Kaylee slowly began to calm. He cuddled next to her on the slim bed and she found his strong arms a consolation, albeit a small one. Nothing, however, could completely erase the sick feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach when Kaylee thought about the possibility of a pirate attack.

* * *

Wash sat on the bridge. Loster's Moon was less than 48 hours away now. He idly scrolled through the Cortex, hoping to seize upon some item that would occupy his mind and help sideline all the ugly thoughts that swarmed inside.

His hand trembled slightly as it held a device. He set it down and tried to focus again on the Cortex. He squinted. The words appeared blurry and no matter how much he tried to concentrate, his mind wandered. He couldn't wrap it around any of the information he glanced at.

Wash took a deep breath. 'Maybe I should talk to Book,' he said to himself. He and the preacher had never worked on building the most solid rapport; they had not bonded the way Book and Jayne had. Wash momentarily shook his head in wonderment over the fact that _Jayne_ had a better relationship with Book than he did. But he felt that talking to the older man might prove helpful. Book possessed strong listening skills and wisdom. He could serve as an outlet for some of the pilot's inner turmoil.

In less than two days, his wife would be selling her body to another man in order to buy food for the crew. The bastard Loster would be able to do whatever he wanted with Zoe, and Zoe would need to choke down her disgust and deal with the degradation. Wash felt his body heave.

Meanwhile, their baby grew weaker with each day. Last time Kaylee had babysat Tess, the mechanic had walked away with a quivering lip. She obviously thought that the baby's days were numbered. Would Tess even survive the journey to Loster's?

Wash's head felt dizzy and light. During their last meal, Zoe had not protested when he had placed his entire ration on her plate. Wash now clenched a fist and then released it quickly. He tried to drop his anger and not let it overwhelm him. He loved Zoe, loved the baby but he had not wanted to have a baby just yet. He had let Zoe talk him into it, knowing that it was not a good time to bring a new life into the 'verse. Zoe had argued his point, stating that there would never be a good time, that this was her dream, and he had (indirectly, anyway) consented in theory to the idea of parenthood when they got engaged. His adoration of his wife had overcome his judgment and now they had a malnourished daughter. And a very hungry father too, one who at times felt glad that the crew would soon have more food regardless of what Zoe had to do to get it.

Wash shook his head, deeply shamed at his thoughts, particularly that last one. 'This is what desperation does to a man,' Wash speculated. He loved Zoe and always would, but his hunger was amplifying his anger tenfold. This only increased his shame.

'I've got to talk to Book,' Wash resolved. 'Maybe I'll seek him out and see if he can come up here right now. Book will be reasonable, he'll keep my confidence, and he'll give me another perspective. He'll remind me that it's just hunger and exhaustion that are making me so mad.'

But then Wash shut his eyes and thought he saw stars behind his eyelids when he thought of Loster and what Loster would soon be doing with Zoe. He tried to shrug it off. 'It's a rough 'verse,' he told himself, still seeing fireworks behind his eyelids. Other people indenture themselves and work like slaves in a mine just to earn a meal. This isn't any different.' His thoughts lapped themselves. It's _a lot_ different, actually.'

Wash dimly heard footsteps and commotion behind him. "Are you ruttin' deaf?" Mal screeched as he bounded onto the bridge. "How long's that proximity alarm bein' goin' off?"

"_Shenme_?" Wash asked, still feeling lightheaded. His ears perked up and he willed them to focus. It did seem as though now he could hear an alarm vaguely in the distance.

Zoe and Jayne also reached the bridge, and watched Mal fervently pressing buttons on the panel.

"What is it?" Zoe asked. She stood behind Wash and placed a hand on his shoulder. As she entered the bridge, she had seen the dazed look on her husband's face and knew he was suffering the effects of starvation. She resolved to be stronger, for him. She gently squeezed his shoulder.

Mal's face drained. "It's the Haakona," he breathed. "Markova's ship."

"I thought Markova got hit by pirates!" Jayne demanded, puzzled. "Thought they took her gorram ship and left the crew stranded."

"They did," Mal said, as the hairs on the back of his neck rose. Jayne quickly came to understand the meaning of Mal's words, and complete dread pumped through the veins of the crew. Even Wash started to shake himself out of his overtaxed daze, and his weariness was rapidly replaced with terror.

"They spotted us?" Zoe asked. As usual, her face betrayed none of her emotions.

Mal pressed a few more buttons. "They're on a direct intercept course."

The other ship was approaching rapidly. As Mal set Serenity to bolt, Wash began to recover his senses. He punched a few buttons and Serenity picked up additional speed.

"How fast's that ship?" Jayne asked.

"Markova's ship was always a lot faster an' shinier than Serenity," Mal said. The other captain often bragged about her vessel. Mal opened the intercom to reach Kaylee and let her know that Serenity needed to move with all of her speed.

As fast as Serenity moved, the Haakona kept right on it. The gap between the two ships rapidly narrowed.

Suddenly, another warning rang out from the sensors. The ship rocked violently as it was hit from behind. The Haakona had been outfitted by pirates with new weaponry. Serenity's engine room took a hit as alarms began to blare. The pirate ship continued to advance on Serenity.

A gravelly voice rang out over the communications panel. "Unidentified ship. Surrender and prepare to be boarded."

* * *

TO BE CONTINUED

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

The band of pirates was comprised of eight men of varying ages and backgrounds. Most were fighters, though the group also required an engineer and pilot. They were extremely pleased with themselves that day, having so quickly overtaken the old Firefly and blasted its airlock open.

Their leader, a man named Billings, grinned with happiness at the sight of the five-member crew of Serenity standing in the cargo bay with their hands up. His eyes then narrowed as he surveyed the small group. All of the crew members were men.

With a nod of his head, Billings commanded his men to frisk the surrendered Serenity crew. As they efficiently went about their task, finding no traces of any concealed weapons, the leaders of the two groups began to talk.

"Well, now. To what do we owe this unexpected visit?" the captain of Serenity asked, with a slight grin on his face. His expression betrayed no indignity at the situation.

"You must be the captain of this old ship," Billings said. "What's your name?'

"Malcolm Reynolds. This here's my crew," he said, cocking his head in the direction of the other four men.

"This is it?" the other captain asked, incredulously. "You don't have one female on board your ship?"

The rest of Billings' crew began to chime in. Their words were vicious and lewd, and they left nothing to the imagination in terms of what they would do with any women once they found them. The last sentence spoken by one of the men evoked particular chills when he said that they had "used up" all of the women they captured during their previous raid and thus were hungry for more.

"You see, that's mainly what we're here for," Billings concluded. "I figure that your heap of _lese_ ship here don't got much cargo. We'll search it top to bottom, but I don't expect to find much. And the ship itself ain't gonna fetch us much when we try to sell it. No one's buying ships or ship parts these days anyway. So our biggest attraction here is your women. My boys, as you've heard, are eager to have some fun. So am I."

"Well, I'm terrible sorry to disappoint, but I don't got any women on my crew," Mal stated.

"Right. What do each of your crew do then?" Billings asked. Starting with Simon, he pointed and asked, "What's his function on the ship?"

"Medic," Mal responded. The captain looked towards Wash and added, "And that's my pilot. The big fellow's my mercenary, and the preacher here is just a passenger. We had a lady mechanic – pretty young thing too; you woulda liked her – but she left us two months ago to get married."

"And you have no mechanic now?" Billings asked, clearly indicating skepticism.

"We're lookin' for a new one. Hard to find a mechanic worth their salt who'll work for what I can pay 'em. Know any?"

Billings ignored the attempt at humor. "You don't have a companion on board?"

"Nope. She left us 'bout a year ago. I must not have a way with the ladies."

"Or you're lying through your teeth." Billings turned towards his men. "Tie them up, and then scour every inch of the ruttin' ship. I bet they don't got cargo but they probably got one or two girls hidin' here." As Billings' crew took out the rope and began to carry out their orders, he continued, "And remember, this is a Firefly. They've got more hidin' spots than you can count."

Mal and the other four men allowed themselves to be seated on crates and have their hands and feet bound.

* * *

"You all look awfully nervous," one of the pirates said, menace in his voice. His fellow bandits were still searching Serenity as he guarded the prisoners. He noticed that the doctor was biting the nails of his fingers, despite the ropes that bound his wrists.

"Don't most of the folk whose ships you invade get nervous?" Mal retorted.

"Maybe you're nervous 'cause your crew got wives and girlfriends hidden on this ship."

Mal snorted. "I was married once but it didn't turn out so well. Glad to be a bachelor again."

"We've boarded lots of ships and I ain't seen a one that don't got no women on it. What do you all do for sex? Or are you all sly?"

"Nope, not sly," Mal responded. "We get plenty of time with the ladies when we dock planetside. 'Cept for our preacher here; that sorta thing's against his orders."

Mal then added, "So what're you gonna do with us once you find we're tellin' the truth and we don't got no cargo or women?"

The man shrugged. "It's up to our captain. If there's nothing worth takin' then we either kill you all, kill a few of you, or let you all go. Depends on how he's feeling." He paused and added, "But I can tell you that he ain't gonna be feeling good if he don't get any women."

* * *

The pirates ransacked both the crew bunks and the passenger rooms. As Billings walked through the front hall and listened to their reports, he wondered if perhaps Captain Reynolds was telling the truth. If the crew was hiding any female members, they had done an admirable job of cleaning out the personnel quarters. Not one feminine article of clothing or feminine toiletry could be found. Billings shook his head. He'd never been on board a Firefly before but had read all about them. They reportedly contained secret hiding places within secret hiding places and there were plenty of places for people – and their personal items – to be concealed. So far his crew had not uncovered one hidden passageway.

He had time. If they had to stay on board the ship and search it for days, then that's what they would do. If they had to begin torturing the five men to get them to talk, then they would do that as well. He decided if it came to that, they would start with the doctor and the pilot as they looked the most likely to break soon.

In addition to providing amusement for his crew, female captives also fetched a handsome profit in the slave trade. That was one of the few industries that was still solvent, and Billings was not about to pass up that opportunity either.

Meanwhile, another of the pirates was searching the back hall. He made his way towards engineering. The room, which had been searched once before by a different man, was empty. He walked around it, occasionally touching a panel, trying to make the time pass and make it appear that he was doing his job thoroughly. Suddenly his blood froze. He strained his ear and heard the almost imperceptible sound again. It sounded like a tiny wail from a baby. The pirate remained motionless for several minutes. The sound did not repeat itself.

"That you, Michaels?" One of his crewmates called, walking towards the engine room. "You find anything in here?" he asked, as he ducked his head inside.

"No," Michaels called, exiting the engine room and walking towards his crewmate. "Nothing in here."

He followed his crewmate down the back hall, hoping that none of the others would discover what he found.

* * *

"How much longer you gonna keep us? I gotta take a shit and right now."

The pirate who guarded the Serenity crew looked at Jayne. He squinted his eyes at the mercenary. "That's your problem."

"C'mon," Jayne pleaded, though Mal gave him a dirty look. "I gotta do it but bad. You don't want me to make a stinkin' mess here. 'Specially if we're gonna be sittin' here for much longer. You're the one gotta guard us." The crew had been sitting, bound, for nearly an hour. One guard stood near them.

"All you gotta do is take me to one of the bathrooms," Jayne said. "There's one thata way," he said, tilting his head. "You can keep my hands and feet tied."

"Please do it," Wash added, a half-smile on his face. "Jayne's got some pretty serious intestinal issues. We might all pass out if you don't take him to the bathroom."

"Shut yer trap, little man!" Jayne barked at him.

The guard glared at Jayne. "Yeah, speakin' of traps, ain't it just real lucky that the biggest and brawniest of you's the one who's gotta go? How stupid you think I am?"

He then contacted his peers, and soon two other pirates showed up. The two of them grabbed Jayne roughly and pushed him down the hall. The guard remained with Mal, Simon, Wash, and Book.

Jayne walked with the two pirates, lumbering at an awkward pace and occasionally stumbling. The pirates didn't need to know that he'd been tied up many times before and knew how to move with speed and dexterity even with bound hands and feet.

"Hey," Jayne began, in a low voice, as they approached the bathroom. The three men were now out of ear shot of everyone else. "Whadya say we make a deal?"

"What sorta deal?" one of the pirates began, his ears perking up.

"What if we maybe _did_ have some girls on board?" Jayne asked as the guards halted their walking so they could better listen. "Maybe I know where to find 'em and can let you have the first dibs. That is," he added, his voice still ominous, "if you let me get my hands on 'em too."

The two pirates exchanged a look. Clearly this mercenary was a stupid man. Either that or he didn't care much for any of the female crew members. "That sounds good," one of them replied. "Take us to them and you get to join in the fun."

Jayne led them down the back hallway and towards engineering. As they walked, Jayne heard one of the pirates reach for a communication device and press a few buttons. By the time they reached engineering, all of the other pirates except for one had joined them and were waiting in the hallway.

"What the hell's this?" Jayne asked. "You said I'd get to get my hands on 'em too!"

"And you will," one of the pirates said. "You'll get your turn."

"But I thought you two wanted first dibs," he addressed the two men with whom he'd bargained.

"I would, but he outranks us," he responded, gesturing towards Billings.

"Where are the girls?" Billings demanded, stepping up to Jayne. "Show me."

"They're in there," Jayne said, pointing to engineering but not entering the room. He then stepped aside as if to let the pirates enter. "Go on in."

"Do you think I was born yesterday?" Billings roared, as he shoved Jayne inside the engineering room and shut the door. He was not about to let his men fall into an obvious trap and intended to keep Jayne bound in there, and then torture him if need be, until he revealed the women's whereabouts.

Jayne would have grinned if he had the time. As soon as engineering's door was closed, he dived into a hidden passageway inside the engine room and slammed shut its opening behind him. For a man whose hands and feet were tied, he moved with shocking agility. As the puzzled pirates watched Jayne's lightening-fast escape and began to move as if to re-open the door, they were taken by surprise at the sounds of gunfire. Billings whirled his head around just in time to take a gunshot by Zoe. His shock at Zoe's sudden appearance cost him his life.

The other pirates were equally stunned. Zoe had silently jumped out of a hidden panel in the back hall, and she managed to shoot two of the other men. Jayne then reappeared in a flash, popping out of another hidden passageway and holding one of the guns that the crew had hidden in strategic locations. He shot one of the pirates and the man went down quickly.

But Jayne was hampered by the ropes on his hands and feet, and one of the men reacted quickly enough to shoot his leg. Jayne collapsed.

That left Zoe with three pirates to deal with alone. Only a few seconds had passed but the element of surprise was evaporating with each passing instant. And now with Jayne down, the situation looked bleak.

River and Kaylee were huddled inside the passageway where the women had been hiding, with baby Tess strapped onto Kaylee. River had been given a handgun. Zoe had been hoping that River could repeat her shooting skills against Niska's men or her cunning against Early, but given that this was River Tam they also knew that they could not count on her being stable enough for a repeat performance of anything. Zoe didn't want to chance this, so River had remained inside the hideaway with Kaylee.

But River sensed the situation and knew that she needed to take action or all would be lost. A few nightmarish memories of her imprisonment at the hands of the Alliance were enough to compel her towards action.

"No power in the 'verse…." she began, her voice a raspy whisper. Kaylee felt chills when she heard the words. River then darted into the hallway and shot the three remaining pirates. Not expecting another fighter, the three men didn't even know what hit them. They fell to the ground. Within the space of a few seconds, the seven invaders – and Jayne – had been shot.

For the first time, Tess began to wail loudly, her young ears overwhelmed by the gunfire. Despite her weakened state, she cried out.

"There's one more guardin' the others!" Jayne bellowed. Blood rapidly oozed from his leg.

Meanwhile, the lone pirate guarding the rest of the crew could hear the bullets in the distance and began to panic. He debated between grabbing his weapon and running towards the noise or using one of his hostages as a shield and bargaining chip if need be. After he hesitated for several valuable moments, he finally lunged towards Simon, meaning to drag the doctor towards the commotion. As he reached for the doctor, Mal and Book leapt to their feet and, despite the bounds on their hands, delivered powerful blows to the back of the man's head.

Their plan had succeeded and Serenity was free of its invaders.

* * *

As Simon tended to Jayne's wound, Mal and Zoe boarded the Haakona, their eyes widening at what they found. There were enough food rations to last the Serenity crew for _years_, in addition to countless other valuables including medical supplies and weapons. There were even some stolen engine parts and other equipment that Serenity needed. Mal located a gun large and powerful enough to replace Vera, which would have to make their mercenary happy. He and Zoe knew they had taken a tremendous gamble. Mal liked high-stakes gambits and this one had been a success.

Zoe immediately began devouring some of the food – Tess's critical situation was never away from her mind. As soon as she and Mal returned to Serenity, the others eagerly consumed nutrition bars as well.

Of course they also found a few horrors on board the Haakona as well, including evidence of torture that the pirates had committed and even some stomach-churning torture devices. The wall of one room was covered with pictures of raped and mutilated women, and occasionally the pirates themselves could be seen in the pictures, clearly enjoying performing the atrocities.

About half of the pirates had survived Zoe, Jayne, and River's bullets but they all were – along with their dead comrades – unceremoniously tossed out of the airlock. Mal was not about to waste precious medical supplies on the would-be rapists and murderers of his crew. And what would they do with the pirates if they recovered anyway? It was not as if they could turn them over to the Alliance or another authority for justice. "If the preacher wants to argue that decision," Mal told Zoe, rage in his voice, "I'll show him the room full of pictures on the Haakona."

Mal, Wash, and Kaylee later counted and took stock of the loot in the cargo bay, which was now crammed with provisions. "We oughtta get some of this to Markova's crew," the captain said. "Some of this has gotta belong to her. And we gotta get her ship back to her too."

Wash nodded. "I'll get the word out. See if anyone knows where they are." He added, "Jayne's not going to be thrilled with us parting with any of these goodies."

"I know but it ain't his decision. It's the fair thing to do and, 'sides, it wouldn't hurt to have an ally in this 'verse. Markova's a decent woman and gratitude always helps make a friend."

"Jayne's so happy to have another Vera, he ain't gonna complain a peep," Kaylee added.

* * *

"Loster, we changed our minds. Not gonna be stoppin' by after all," Zoe said. She suppressed her smile.

"What! What is it you want? More food. More ---"

"Shut up, Loster," Zoe said, before pressing a button and terminating their conversation. The screen went blank.

Wash turned to look at his wife. His anger and fear had evaporated and he felt like himself again. The food he'd eaten helped clear his head. "That felt good."

"Felt _real_ good," Zoe added, now allowing her lips to form a sincere smile.

Wash returned her grin. With their daughter already looking much healthier and with their own bellies now pleasantly filled, both members of the couple looked forward to soon doing something else that would feel real good.

* * *

"You're right, Kaylee," Simon said as he buttoned his shirt. Dinnertime was in five minutes and he didn't want to be late – especially not for tonight's party. "I have to open up more to you."

Kaylee rummaged around the floor for her dress and put it back on. She rarely wore the short, breezy outfit but it fit with her exuberant mood and was appropriate for tonight's celebration. "I'd sure appreciate it," she replied to her lover.

"You know," Simon said, tilting his head. "Maybe I should keep a journal. That would get me used to writing out my feelings, and I could share it with you."

Kaylee made a face. Where in the 'verse had he gotten this idea from?

"Well, whatever," Kaylee smiled. "I love you. Journal or no journal."

"Love you too, _bao bei_."

As Simon and Kaylee walked hand in hand towards the dining room, the enticing aroma of cooking wafted through the air. The pirates had been subsisting on quite a bit of the standard bars and crackers, but they also had a stockpile of real, actual food. The Serenity crew would apportion it carefully and slowly. For tonight's party, Book had made a simple pasta dish with a sauce derived from canned tomatoes and dried basil. Simon and Kaylee happily took their places at the table. Jayne ate with the group, his leg propped up on a chair.

River and Kaylee had worked on decorations, using various scraps from the engine room. They painted them brightly using water colors that Inara had once given to Kaylee. The dining room had a festive look to it tonight.

Earlier in the day, Kaylee had also brushed and adorned River's hair. It was piled on top of the girl's head and River's dress was enhanced by a shawl of Kaylee's. Everyone had dressed up a bit for tonight's party – even Jayne's outfit had been neatly pressed, though he eschewed the hat he'd worn to the Heart of Gold.

When the main course had been savored and enjoyed, Book brought Jayne's guitar to him. He played, as the crew opened a sealed package of dried cherries and portioned them out for a delectable dessert.

Tess had already been fed and burped. She slept through most of the dinner but woke up sometime during the music. She gave a few robust cries before her parents soothed her. Shepherd Book started to sing along with Jayne's song, Wash made some goofy faces at his daughter, and Tess began to laugh.

Not long after Jayne and Book's song had begun, River leapt to her feet and danced happily. Her hair soon tumbled down her neck; the up-style that Kaylee had put together fell. When Jayne and Book began the next song, River extended one hand towards Simon, the other towards Kaylee, and compelled them to dance with her. Wash picked up Tess and danced around with his daughter as well.

Mal sat next to Zoe. "Maybe our next gorram job should be on Belleraphon at a dance hall. It sure looks like we got our own music act here, what with the singin', playin', and dancin'."

Zoe took a bite of another dried cherry and smiled at her captain's words. He was pretending to be somewhat disgusted but she knew he was about as happy as possible right now.

"We can call our act The Malcolm Reynolds Dancers," Zoe quipped. Mal chuckled.

Minutes later, a sound went off, notifying the crew of an incoming message. Wash reluctantly handed Tess over to Zoe so that he could check on the situation.

Wash soon returned to the table. "Mal, we got a wave from Inara. It's text only." He handed the device to the captain.

Kaylee rushed up alongside Mal as Jayne ceased his guitar playing. "What's it say?" she eagerly asked, straining to read over Mal's shoulder.

"Well I'll be," Mal muttered. "Our ambassador says she'd like to rejoin us. Said she can meet up with us on Flint's Moon."

As Kaylee cheered happily, and the others looked pleased as well, Mal sighed to himself and shook his head, "Just when things were lookin' up."

THE END

_

* * *

Author's Notes:_

_Once again, I would like to thank all of my beta testers for their valuable assistance with this story._

_Please leave a review so I know what you thought of it as well. _


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